Chicago Gardeners Journal

Rain, Rain, and SNOW

2010-04-07T04:23:00.000-07:00

Well this week has been rain and more rain. We have had some thunderstorms and now I hear that tonight and possibly tomorrow we might see some snow. Well after our 80 degree days I thought for sure that our chances of snow were gone, but I guess I was wrong.

Well we will see if we actually get to burn the prairie this Friday. With all of this rain it may be just a little too wet.

Here is wishing for slightly warmer weather.

Passion

2010-04-06T04:14:00.000-07:00

I came to school yesterday and found my Passiflora caerulea or Passion flower in full bloom. I rceived this plant as a gift from Five Crows last fall. This plant has really taken a shine to my classroom and has begun to climb up the wall and across my upper windowsill. This was a beautiful welcome back.

The Passiflora genus is found throughout the world and on almost every continent. In fact there is even a native species, Passiflora incarnata. It was known to the Chorokee as the ocee. And can be found growing along the Ocee River bank. This particular species is very important to a few different larval species of butterflies such as the Zebra longwing and the gulf fritilari.

The range of the Passiflora incarnata or the Purple Passion Flower.

Whoops! But alls well that eats well

2010-04-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Well I was on Spring Break all last week and I enjoyed the free time to work in my yard and on gardening. However in my rush to leave on Friday I guess I forgot to put the timer on my grow cart. So in other words my radishes that are in a SIP received 24 hours of light from Friday to well today. When I came in the radishes seemed to be much larger than what they were. I am not sure if this is due to just not seeing them for the course of one week or the additional fact that they had 24 hour daylight.

Nonetheless we actually have some radishes that were just large enough to eat. Three students volunteered to harvest one of them and then slice it and eat it. All three agreed that the radish was very good. One student even said that she normally doesn't like radishes, but she enjoyed that one.

Hallelujah to the power of growing it yourself.

What's Happening

2010-04-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday morning we had a long slow drizzle that I am sure was just what the plants needed. I can't wait to see some green life sprouting in my freshly turned soil. Down in the basement broccoli has started to sprout (4 in all). Still no peppers though.

Naomi is going to reseed those pots since the seeds we used are several years old. Also we are still waiting on the corn and the cucumbers, but we planted those just last week.

Happy Easter and I hope everyone had a good Passover and Seder

The Grayslake Farmers Market Begins Again

2010-04-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

This morning in the drizzling rain Naomi and I ventured to downtown Grayslake to once again stroll through the booths. I felt a giddy sense of spring as I went from one vendor to another. It felt good to say hi and see people again.

Of course tomorrow is Easter and I saw many people purchasing eggs. One couple purchased ten dozen farm fresh eggs from one vendor. Naomi and I bought cheese, bread, juice, and got my CSA share.

Beautiful Days

2010-04-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

The past two days have been simply gorgeous here in the Chicago area. So wonderful that today Naomi and I took our little seedling out for an hour so they could get a little fresh air and some overcast sunlight. Also we planted the carrots (multi colored variety) and the snap peas. It has been in the low 80's the past two days, but tomorrow its supposed to drop by 20 degrees. However it will still be a respectable 60 something.

Burn Baby Burn

2010-03-30T12:19:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Naomi and I burnt our small little patch of prairie next to our deck. Now for any of you who do not know, prairie burns are a necessary part of the prairie life cycle. It helps to keep out woody plants and non natives. However do to the smallness and location of this patch of prairie we had to do things a bit different. First we cut down all of the plants and laid them onto the ground. Then we thoroughly wetted down the deck and the side of the house. Then we started the fire with only a match, not drip torches. Then we stood by hose in hand and let the patch burn. We doused with the hose every once in awhile just to stop the fire from burning too hot and scorching the prairie plant roots. Who are normally under the earth and far enough away from the quick moving fire of a normal prairie burn.

No pictures unfortunately but next week I will burning a large patch of prairie next to the school I work at with my students. I will be sure to take pictures of this one.

Popeye the Sailor Man

2010-03-30T12:10:00.001-07:00

Well today is a beautiful day here in the Chi-town area. Temperatures reaching the 60's and sunny. It seemed like the perfect day to work in the garden. I added compost to each of the raised beds and turned the soil over with my pitchfork. Then I planted some spinach seeds. I seeded an area about 2 feet wide by about 3 feet long. More than enough spinach for this first round of growing. I will try to get in a late crop as well this year, but more on that later in the year.

Spinach is a great cold weather crop. It can be planted in early April (I know its not April yet but it is spring break) and then again in early fall. When the rest of the garden is brown this little patch of green just helps me to get revved up for May.

On another note, many of my friends will tell you I am not a big leafy eater, however the leafy greens I do like include spinach. There is something about a spinach salad with any type of vinaigrette dressing that is just so refreshing.

Well hope to see some sprouters in 8 to 10 days.

Last of the flats planted

2010-03-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

Today Naomi planted the last two flats with Broccoli, two kinds of popcorn, and cucumbers. All of them were new varieties. The broccoli was a variety called Romanesco, which is supposed to have superb flavor and texture. We bought two varieties of heirloom popcorn; 2 inch strawberry popcorn and Tom Thumb popcorn. The last seed planted was double yield cucumbers, which are supposed to be prolific producers and excellent for pickling.We also reseeded a couple of the pots that did not sprout.

So that finalizes the seeds that we planted indoors. Tomorrow we will put sow some spinach seeds outside so that we can get an earlier spinach crop. Later this week we will plant some carrots and peas. The garden is coming together.

The Real Dirt on Farmer John-Review

2010-03-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

This past Friday night Naomi, a friend, and myself went to the Byron Colby Barn to watch the movie The Real Dirt on Farmer John, which is a personal documentary or an autobiopic (is that even a genre). John Peterson is a farmer, artist, eccentric visionary who lives just outside of Rockford, IL. The film documents John's personal struggles from the deaths of his uncle and father, losing his farm in the 80's, and his hard fought rebirth back into farming. John faced prejudice, vicious rumors, and more from his rural neighbors. One gets a detailed look and feel of what rural America was like during the 80's for anyone who broke away from the norm of society.

In 1990 John Peterson returned back to what was left of his family farm. There he began farming again with the help of family and friends. However, with his return John brought a farming method that he had witnessed during his time in Mexico. A natural system that didn't degrade or sterilize the land, an organic way of farming. In the next few years John was taken by the writings of Rudolf Steiner, a philosopher and visionary from Austria, and began to introduce biodynamic farming to Angelic Organics in 1993. In that same year Angelic Organics became a Community Supported Agriculture or CSA farm. Angelic Organics has slowly grown and is now one of the largest CSAs in the United States with over 1400 families participating as shareholders.

All in all this is an entertaining and uplifting movie that shows us how one individual with the help of others can create a small food revolution in the heart of middle America.

Trailer

They are Sprouting

2010-03-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Well not to long ago I wrote about constructing the seed rack. I installed the shop lights put in plant florescent lights, planted the seeds, and then nothing. Unfortunately the basement was too cold and the lights, just not enough heat. So Naomi ordered some seedling heat mats from Horticulture Source. Then in almost no time at all we had some of our first sprouts, tiny basil sprouts.

Then came the onions and the gourds. The gourds seemed to explode out of the ground. In the morning there was not even a hint of action and then by the afternoon they towered above the dirt.

Next our tomato seeds sprouted which gave me a bit of relief. I had seed saved a couple of varieties from last year. One variety happened to be an heirloom of Naomi's aunt Nancy and the others were some heirloom tomatoes that I picked up at a farmers market in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Story of Stuff

2010-03-26T05:01:00.000-07:00

Slightly off topic but it was on my mind...

Over the course of this year my classroom has been learning about sustainability. They have done many lesson led by Naomi our Environmental Educator. One lesson revolved around the online movie The Story of Stuff. I found this movie enlightening, hilarious, and educational. It does a very nice job of taking a complicated issue and breaking it down into very understandable parts. Many of my students were very affected by this movie and its sister movie the Story of Bottled Water, which is another very large issue. In fact a group of my students are taking on the issue of bottled water as their service learning project.

Prairie Crossing Barn Movie Night

2010-03-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

This Friday, 7:30 March 26^th at the Byron Colby Barn, we'll show the critically acclaimed film, THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN. For close to a century, a great American epic has been played out in the tiny town of Caledonia, Illinois, about 75 miles west of Chicago. THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN tells the story of one man, his farm and his family—a story that parallels the history of American farming. But Farmer John is no laconic, Grant Wood-type with a scowl and a pitchfork. Equal parts performance artist, writer and farmer, John Peterson has been known to switch out of his overalls into leopard latex or a purple-feathered boa.

After almost losing the farm in the 80’s John turned his enterprise into an organic operation, naming the farm Angelic Organics. He was soon invited to become a community supported agriculture (CSA) farmer: “I realized that my whole life had been about community—enabling people, bringing them to the farm, working and playing together, sharing the farm experience.” The story of Angelic Organics’ success as a CSA farm over the last 15 years is the final delight of THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN.

Better than Popcorn!!!! Beginning this week, we will have Organic Farm Fresh eggs from the Learning Farm to sell at the movie.

Why Choose Organic

2010-03-25T05:01:00.000-07:00

Well there has been a lot of debate of why someone should choose organic over conventional produce. Many people talk about the nutrition benefits or lack thereof in organic produce when compared to that of conventional. Now this is a hard thing to measure scientifically, since to do it adequately one would have to change only one variable. Variations in soil, irrigation methods, climate, and many other factors change the outcome. However, for me its not as much about nutrition as a lifestyle choice. I want the decisions I make to have the smallest impact I can make. So when I choose organic produce at the store it is an environmental choice more than a health choice. I do not buy much food at the grocery store. In fact one of the house rules is to buy produce that is in season and as locally as you possibly can. For this past winter Naomi and I have used produce that we froze or canned last year. We are beginning to run out of some and still going strong on others.

Article about the Choice

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2010/03/is-organic-better-making-sense-of-organic-choices.html

Local Means Knowing Seasonality

2010-03-24T04:25:00.000-07:00

Many of my students do not seem to have a full grasp on what crops can grow here in Chicago and when they are fresh. I have many students that believe that the bananas that they buy at the store in December were grown just down the road. This year and next year I am beginning to develop a Unit that will address some of these concerns. But for everyone who is not in my classroom and for those students who read this here is a helpful guide produced by the City of Chicago.

Yellow Tail

2010-03-22T03:50:00.000-07:00

Every morning on my way to work I pass by the Lake County Farm Bureau, which has displayed the add "Don't Buy Yellow Tail Wine!" Now I haven't bought any Yellow Tail wine, but to be honest I really haven't ever bought any wine from this company in a very long time. However, just this week I was wondering what has Yellow Tail done to basically raise the hackles of the Farm Bureau. Is it because it is in Australia and there are many more US wineries that are deserving of our money, or maybe its because they practice unfair labor laws or grow their grapes in third world countries effectively skirting the law.

Well the reason behind this major boycott is; they gave $100,000 to the Humane Society of the United States to help with spaying and neutering programs. This is the dastardly act that has brought about the ire of the Farm Bureau. The Farm Bureau states that the Humane Society is part of a group of lobbyists how create unwieldy animal welfare laws that hurts livestock farmers. I can understand this to a point and I am wondering how Nick Janovski, my meat CSA farmer, feels about this donation. Is he upset by it and will this ruin his buisness?

But in the end, I am a bit skeptical about this protest, since I know that CAFO's and the Farm Bureau are very, very friendly. Quite frankly, I am cynical of the Farm Bureau; who walks hand in hand with large corporations that help to destroy small family farms and our environment.

So even though I haven't bought Yellow Tail wine in quite some time, maybe the next time I am at the store I might just buy a bottle or two and do a little toast to Bob Barker.

Building a Seed Germination Rack

2010-03-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Well its been some time since I last blogged, but Spring is here (kind of) so its gardening time. Since the last time I blogged I have won a gardening grant for my classroom from Welch's and the National Gardening Association. I also built a seed germination rack last Saturday.

The seed rack was my solution to what has been for the last two years is a makeshift paint can/ shop light system. I wanted to update the system and make it possible to start more seedlings without taking up the entire floor of the guest bedroom.

I found a couple of prototypes from green roof growers and tiny farm blog and then adapted them to meet my needs and design aesthetics.

Materials

Drill (assorted drill bits and tools)

wood screws

3/8" carriage bolts washers and nuts

(6) 2x4's 8 foot long

3 sheets of plywood 2' x 4'

Cross braces

6 shop lights

12 plant lights

Jack chain

and S hooks

1. start by cutting 4 6 foot long 2x4's

2. take the 2 foot 2x4's and lay them on the ground with two of your 6 foot boards like so:

3. Repeat step two

4. add the four foot boards by first measuring out where you want the shelves and mark it. I made my shelves at 24" and 48".

5. Lay the four foot sections and clamp them like so

Then drill the holes for the four carriage bolts

6. Count sink each hole with a 1/2" counter sink (Note: counter sink the 6 foot board and the four foot board should go inside the rectangle. In picture it is opposite because I don't always do things the easy way the first time around)

7. Attach all four foot 2x4's to the inside of the rectangle.

8. screw on the plywood sheets to each level including one to be a top

Optional Steps if you want to keep pets out of the plants especially cats

9.. Place rack on side and then roll out 30" by 84" screen onto side. It is good to have a second person to help with this step, so the screen stays taut. Use a staple gun to attach the screen to the side of the rack. Then do the other side in the same fashion.

10. Attach the cross braces to give the rack more support. Four sided objects tend to shift from side to side. Cross braces stop this shifting motion by creating a more sound shape the triangle.

11 (Optional Screen step) Attack a front screen that is 48" x 84" to the top plywood sheet with the staple gun and then attach adhesive Velcro to posts and the screen to have a secure fit.

12. Install shop lights with eye hooks (I spaced them out at about 10" and 13" onto the plywood sheets and also the 2 foot 2x4 for the top rack only), Then use the jack chain and the s hooks to affix the shop lights

After you have installed all six lights to the three shelves you are basically done with construction. However I do have some helpful tips and suggestions.

Suggestion/tip: Pre-drill all holes it will make putting screws and eye hooks in much easier.

Suggestion/tip: If it is going in the basement (like mine) then purchase heating mats for the seed trays or germination may never actually begin.

Suggestion/tip: When doing this kind of project take your time never get in too much a hurry that you don't think two steps ahead of where you are at.

Hoop Houses and Winter Gardenting at the White House

2010-01-14T06:50:00.000-08:00

Local Foods Movie Series at the Byron Colby Barn Continues

2010-01-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

Last November Mike Sands showed the movie Fresh! and the event was a big success for all who came. Well this event is continuing for at least two additional nights. This Friday, January 15, is the film HOMEGROWN and Feburary 24th is the acclaimed film King Corn and the short sequel Big River.

The Byron Colby Barn is located at 1561 Jones Point Road in Grayslake IL.

All movies are FREE!

On Friday, 7:30 January 15th, we'll show a 52 minute video by Robert McFalls entitled HOMEGROWN. HOMEGROWN follows the Dervaes family who run a small organic farm in the heart of urban Pasadena, California. While "living off the grid", they harvest over 6,000 pounds of produce on less than a quarter of an acre, make their own bio diesel, power their computers with the help of solar panels, and maintain a website that gets 4,000 hits a day. The film is an intimate human portrait of what it's like to live like "Little House on the Prairie" in the 21st Century. HOMEGROWN is ultimately a family story. It's about what lead them to where they are today, what changed them and what keeps them together. Perhaps by learning of their journey to a sustainable life style, we might be inspired to take our own first steps. To see a trailer go to www.homegrown-film.com/trailer.html

On Wednesday, 7:30 February 24th, we'll show the acclaimed KING CORN followed by their short sequel BIG RIVER. KING CORN is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. In KING CORN, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America’s most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat—and how we farm.BIG RIVER picks up where the 2006 film KING CORN left off - in the banks of the Mississippi River. Where KING CORN was a light-hearted look at our industrial food system through the lens of two wide-eyed Yale graduates (Curt Ellis and his partner-in-crime Ian Cheney) cultivating a single acre of corn in Iowa, BIG RIVER is a harsh reality check, examining the impact industrial farming has on the Mississippi River. For trailers go to www.kingcorn.net and www.bigriverfilm.com

There will be discussion leaders and door prizes at both events.

Please pass on this information to any colleague or you think would be interested or onto your own blog. The screenings are free and open to all!

Holy Cows and Hog Heaven: A Book Review

2010-01-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

Over winter break I had time to read quite a few books. One of the books that I was able to finish was Joel Salatin's Holy Cows and Hog Heaven. This book is a buyers guide to farm fresh food that empowers consumers to take matters into their own hands. After reading this book I have a new-found understanding for what local farmers have to do and the hurdles they have to jump through.

The book kicks off with a foreword from the food reform guru himself, Michael Pollan. Michael briefly explains that while doing research for his book Omnivore's Dilemma he came across Polyface Farms. He decided to order some beef from Joel and have it shipped to him in New York. The following conversation is a result of that desire.

"Sure come by the farm any time."

Michael then explained that he lived in Connecticut, so maybe instead he could ship a rib eye or two.

"Sorry but we only sell locally."

Michael then misinterpreted this statement as meaning he wasn't set up for shipping.

"No I don't think you understand. We have a policy here of never shipping food more than fifty miles from the farm. I have a problem with Fed-Exing meat clear across the country..."

This sentiment easily sums up Polyface farms -- local, dedicated, and honest. The book also includes some great stories and anecdotes on the FDA and some of its idiotic policy, Monsanto and its goal to copyright every gene in our food system, and lastly corporate farming.

So in conclusion I recommend this book to anyone who eats. Remember, we can't wait for the government or big corporations to save us. We have to be the change that we seek.

Farmville Update

2010-01-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

What Does Farmville Mean for Farmers?

Borborygmi > Peter Smith on December 17, 2009 at 6:24 am PST

Stop caring about your virtual farm and start caring about real ones.

The sun always shines. Pink cows produce strawberry milk. Soybeans take two days to grow and ripen. Something is not right. It’s too clean. Nothing smells. Coffee bean grows next to squash. Millions of first-time farmers plant new crops every week. And—finally!—people pull out their wallets to support local agriculture. Welcome to Farmville.

Farmville has become a viral internet trend since its launch as a Facebook application this summer. It has now grown to 70 million users, making it the number one application on the social networking site. Players sign up and get fields, infrastructure, and cash. They’re tasked with creating bigger, better, and richer farms. The game is a rehash of the addictive Tamagotchi pet toy of the early 1990s, but instead of feeding a little “animal,” you’re caring for a digital homestead with insatiable livestock and crops that need regular clicking and attention.

The virtual farm provides an odd mashup of social networking with back-to-the-land fantasies. Farmville offers no real sustenance, but its emphasis on cooperation, strategy, and creation represent a culturally significant development in the often violent world of gaming. It’s a simulation with less stimulation, a sort of virtual country calm that transports us somewhere else for a minute or an hour. In doing so, the game taps deep into the American psyche, and the longing for an idyllic agrarian past. “People just want to get back to something simpler,” one tech writer told NPR.

While using new media to express old agrarian values may seem paradoxical, Yi-Fu Tuan points out in his book Topophilia that the romantic appreciation of nature in literature has always arisen from wealth, privilege, and the urban advancement of society, which distances us from a gentle, unselfconscious involvement with the physical world. Farmville is just the latest iteration of the theme.

But Farmville’s farms don’t actually mirror reality. In Farmville, farmers can get high returns. Seeds mature at impossible rates. It’s a place without slaughtering. There’s little of the harsh reality that Americans value food only enough to spend 10 percent of their income on it. If you had any doubts, know that Farmville is complete fantasy.

In 2004, Eleanor Agnew wrote a memoir, Back From the Land, about her homesteading experience. After being lured by the idealism of living in nature and trying to live off the land, she eventually moved back to the city. Life in the country was tough. She spent an exorbitant amount of time making ketchup. Her marriage disintegrated. “Liking the idea was not enough,” she writes. Liking just the idea of farming has little potential to transform the world; Farmville’s online community of artificial soybean farmers won’t improve our food system. To do that we need real farming, and that's not a game. It’s time to support actual small farmers and stop playing around.

Article taken from following website

http://www.good.is/post/What-Does-Farmville-Mean-for-Farmers/?GT1=48001

Mid Winter Festival

2009-12-21T08:19:00.000-08:00

The Winter Solstice has been a celebrated day throughout most of human history and prehistory. It is on this day that the last festival or feast was commonly held before the coming of the wintry months or the times of famine. The solstice was extremely important due to the fact that in early times survival was not certain in the months ahead. Many communities would slaughter much of their livestock, so they would not have to be fed during the lean months of winter. Hence meat was uncommonly plentiful and so was alcoholic beverages due to their coincidental fermentation near this date. Therefore with the uncertainty of life, large amounts of meat and great quantities of alcohol, a party seemed quite appropriate.

Although life is a bit more certain and meat and alcohol is always plentiful, we still celebrate this ancient tradition, through a dozen or more religious celebrations.

Farmville

2009-12-20T07:22:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make, I am a virtual farmer. I have 4 pink pigs that get truffles. I wanted bacon but I got truffles instead. I also have reindeer that my virtual farmer self brushes for fur. I'm not exactly sure how internet people use shedded reindeer fur, but that's none of my concern for its only the points and the gold coins that truly matter in this back to the land game.

Farmville is an internet game that one can play that is associated with Facebook. In this unrealistic game, farmers get paid in gold coins, which I know many farmers in the real world wished would happen especially with the price of gold right now. No farm animal dies, personally a problem for me... because I know that even my virtual self would love to eat some virtual pork and beef every now and then. And the fact that there are no seasons so one can harvest pumpkins, corn, wheat and strawberries all at the same time. Additionally I have date and fig trees growing right along with my apple trees while a reindeer stands next to them. I know that video games are not supposed to be real but this does stretch ones imagination.

So in the end why am I playing this game along with thousands of others? Well I could give a long convoluted answer about how we all wish we could be closer to the land and need even a virtual sense of our food. However that would belie the point that people want something mindless to take up some of those stand still minutes that are spaced throughout our day when nothing is happening. Life is much simpler in the unreal virtual world where one plants crops and harvests them without weeding or working 4 hours to a day later. Yet, in the end the whole virtual farm world is just a bit tasteless.

Frontera, Inspection, and a Waste of Good Food

2009-12-19T06:20:00.000-08:00

Just this past week inspectors from the Illinois Department of Agriculture raided Rick Bayless's restaurants Topolobampo, Frontera Grill, and Xoco. The raid was prompted after the blog Food Chain did a story about two dads who were running an underground charcutiers (or pork butcher), E & P Meats. The story stated that both E & P Meats and Rick Bayless received their pork from the same farm, Maple Creek Farms, in Penwaukee, Wisconsin.

The agents seized 80 pounds of bacon and an unknown amount of headcheese. The agents stated that the items had been inspected and certified by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture but not by Illinois, therefore making it illegal to serve in a restaurant. The food will be destroyed wasting a large amount of delicious food.

I understand that this action was done for the health of the people in Chicago, but lets be serious food from that farm is probably healthier than any thing from a CAFO or a large slaughter house. Lets be serious all of the major outbreaks in the US have not come from small farms. They come from these large corporate farms and USDA certified slaughter houses. The inspection of our food in this country is a joke.

It is my sentiment that this is just another attack on small family farms. Farms that should, in my humble opinion, receive the blessing of the USDA instead of their animosity. I for one do not buy meat at the grocery store because I do not believe that it has been produced in an ethical, humane, environmental, or healthy way. I now only purchase my meat from local farmers who I have met at the farmers' markets.

In summation, I support Rick Bayless and his tireless support of local farms and his desire to purchase products for his restaurants that have come from people and faces that he knows. And I want to say to the inspectors go find a real problem and deal with that.

Petri Pork: One More Step to Ruining Our Food

2009-12-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

Well some more Frankenstienish food direct from the lab is coming soon or maybe not. Scientists in Holland have made a soggy flavorless meat like substance from stem cells of muscle tissue from a pig. They initially extracted cells from a pig called myoblasts and then put them into a solution. These cells are hardwired by their DNA to replicate and become muscle tissue.

The scientist claim that cultured pork or meat could save millions of tons in greenhouse gases. However, this will only work if people are willing to eat this type of meat. The Dutch scientists in charge of this experiment are hoping that their work will lead to a larger production of food and help to feed multitudes of people in the coming years. Since you could take muscle cells from one healthy specimen and then multiply them indefinitely in the lab.

This experiment was built off of a similar experiment that scientists in the United States did when they tried to grow fish fillets in a lab from stem cells from a gold fish (can any one say yummm!). Scientists are trying to find a way to toughen up the soggy pork since they believe its limp form is due from not exercising.

“We need to find ways of improving it by training it and stretching it, but we will get there. This product will be good for the environment and will reduce animal suffering. If it feels and tastes like meat, people will buy it.”

The Dutch scientists have received generous funding from a sausage manufacturer and from the Dutch government. Reaction world wide has been mixed from various agencies. PETA has endorsed the experiments whereas farmers are feeling slightly skeptical about it. As for myself and others I have talked about we are just feeling a bit queasy and noxious about the idea.

Sweet Potatoes and Yams

2009-12-03T19:19:00.001-08:00

Tonight for dinner I made grill cheese sandwiches and sweet potato chips. The sweetness of the sweet potato and the saltiness of the chip combined to make a great side dish. However, while eating them I began to wonder about the history of the sweet potato. Over Thanksgiving I learned that it was not a relative of a yam, which intrigued me and helped to lead to this post.

The sweet potato is a relative of the morning glory family, Convolvulacea, and has many different varieties. This plant has its beginnings in prehistoric South America and comes in a range of skin and flesh colors. Furthermore, there are two distinct groupings of sweet potato varieties, "soft" and "firm". It is the ones in the "soft" category that have caused the confusion with yams.

During the time of slavery in the south, sweet potatoes were brought from South America and used as a staple food source for slaves. Slaves seeing and cooking with the "soft" variety of sweet potatoes believed them to be nyami, an edible starchy root that is grown throughout Africa. The name was changed to yam and stuck.

However, the nyami and the sweet potato are quite different botanically speaking. For one the nyami is a monocot group, which means that they only have one seed-leaf or cotyledon. Whereas the sweet potato is a dicot or a plant that has two seed-leaves or cotyledons. The sweet potato is originally from Peru and Ecuador and the nyami is originally from West Africa and Asia. Lastly, the sweet potato has half the growing season as the nyami.

In the grocery store most of the "yams" that you will see for sale are actually a "soft" variety of sweet potato. All true yams or nyami must be grown in a warmer climate such as the carribean due to the exceptionally long growing season. So we don't actually see them for sale very often here in the United States and can only usually be found in an international market.

Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labils with the term yam to be accompanied by the term sweet potato.

	Factor	Sweetpotato	Yam
1.	Scientific Name	Ipomoea batatas	Dioscorea Species
2.	Plant family	Morningglory (Convolvulaceae)	Yam (Dioscoreaceae)
3.	Plant group	Dicotyledon	Monocotyledon
4.	Chromosome number	2n=90 (hexaploid)	2n=20
5.	Flower character	Monoecious	Dioecious
6.	Origin	Tropical America (Peru, Ecuador)	West Africa, Asia
7.	Historical beginning	Prehistoric	50,000 BC
8.	Edible storage organ	Storage root	Tuber
9.	Number/plant	4 to 10	1 to 5
10.	Appearance	Smooth, with thin skin	Rough, scaly
11.	Shape	Short, blocky, tapered ends	Long, cylindrical, some with "toes"
12.	Dry matter	22 to 28%	20 to 35%
13.	Mouth feel	Moist*	Dry
14.	Taste	Sweet*	Starchy
15.	Beta carotene (Vit. A)	High (orange vars.)*	Very low
16.	Propagation	Transplants/vine cuttings	Tuber pieces
17.	Growing season	90 to 150 days (120= Jewel)	180 to 360 days
18.	Maturity	None	At senescence
19.	Storage	(Cured at 80 to 86^oF) 55 to 60^oF	54 to 61^oF
20.	Climatic requirements	Tropical and temperate	Tropical
21.	Availability	Grown in USA	Imported from Caribbean

Questions?

2009-11-23T14:57:00.000-08:00

Okay as I stated in my last post I have received a seed catalog and to be honest I can't help but look at it with my mind on next year's growing season. Well while reading I found an interesting tomato plant called the silvery fir tree. I was wondering if any of my readers have had any experience with this plant and could give me any advice concerning it.

Seed Catalog

2009-11-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

Just received either our first seed catalog for next year's growing season or the last seed catalog for this year's growing season. Couldn't help but peruse it as soon as I took it out of the mail box. Of course my mind started to wonder what seeds should I buy and should we try any new varities or stick with ones we know about. Well here is to Seed Savers who have already have me thinking of next year. How long is it till spring?

A Refreshing Night

2009-11-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

Last night Naomi, Five Crows, Fractured Thoughts, and several others got together for a pot luck meal made from locally grown and raised food. We had salads, green bean casserole, pot roast, pork tenderloin, apple/ leek cheese pastries, and apple cranberry crumble for dessert. The food was excellent and the company was even better.

The impetus for this occasion was the screening of FRESH the movie at the barn in Prairie Crossing. There have been quite a few movies of late about the issue of agriculture and our food industry. I would not suggest this as someone's first movie about current issues in the food and agriculture industry, but it did have some informative insights as well as a thorough interview of Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms. Joel was as entertaining and informative as he was in Food Inc., however this movie covered his views and the reasons for his farming methods better than any other movie he has been featured in. Of course I think Michael Pollan, the founding father ofmodern food reform, explains him the best:

I asked Joel how he answers the charge that because food like his is more expensive, it is inherently elitist. “I don’t accept the premise,” he replied. “First off, those weren’t any ‘elitists’ you met on the farm this morning. We sell to all kinds of people. Second, whenever I hear people say clean food is expensive, I tell them it’s actually the cheapest food you can buy. That always gets their attention. Then I explain that, with our food, all of the costs are figured into the price. Society is not bearing the cost of water pollution, of antibiotic resistance, of food-borne illnesses, of crop subsidies, of subsidized oil and water — of all the hidden costs to the environment and the taxpayer that make cheap food seem cheap. No thinking person will tell you they don’t care about all that. I tell them the choice is simple: You can buy honestly priced food or you can buy irresponsibly priced food.” Source: No Bar Code, Mother Jones

Also Michael Pollan's book Omnivore's Dilemma best explains Joel Salatin's farming views and ideas.

The other main character of this movie is Will Allen, a self described food industry drop out. Will is the founder and president of Growing Power, which is an organization that has a simple goal; to grow food, to grow minds, and to grow community. Will started this organization simply enough. He wanted to find work for the teens in his community and to give them a job that would help them give back to their community. From this humble beginning this organization has transformed into a national commitment to sustainable food systems. Growing Power not only provides for its immediate neighborhoods, but also serves as a training facility to teach others how to replicate the methods that they use.

Will Allen produces about $850,000 of health fresh food on just three acres of land in the middle of an urban jungle. Growing Power has six greenhouses, ten hoophouses, pens for goats, turkeys, and chickens. They also have a sustainable system for raising 10,000 tiliapia and perch. Proving to everyone that you can grow a large amount of food on a small area and that people who live in the urban "food deserts" do not need to settle for just processed foods. Everyone is entitled to the right to enjoy fresh delicious produce and meat.

So my recomendation is go see the movie, but if this is your first trip into the world of Slow Food, or agriculture revolution then don't stop here and keep on reading and watching. Your body, mind and soul will thank you for it.

Upcoming screenings:

If there are no upcoming screenings in your area, please contact the director to get a DVD to host a local screening in your home or community center.

You can also become a fan on Facebook (they list the upcoming screenings on there, too).

CSA News

2009-11-13T07:25:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, Nick Janovski (better known as Farmer Nick) had his pick up for his meat and egg CSA. I picked up my quarter share at the Grayslake Farmers' Market. Farmer Nick sells pastrue raised pork and free range chicken. As his sign says,"Even better than organic!" His farm is in Walworth, Wisconsin. I am looking forward to the time I get to have a look at his farm. He is our Joel Salatin.

Unlike many other CSAs the shares were not separated but made to order. For my order I told Nick that the only item I desperately wanted was the bacon. Fresh, thick cut bacon is just simply divine in my opinion and the bacon from his farm surpasses even that praise. As for the rest I told him to surprise me and give me whatever he wanted. So for the rest of my quarter share I took home a rack of ribs, a package of pork short ribs, a package of ground pork, a package of ground beef, and a pork tenderloin. You might ask how much is a quarter share?

Well that answer is just $40.

Sauce, Butter, and Leeks

2009-11-05T04:05:00.001-08:00

Well last weekend Naomi and I went west in order to go apple pickin'. McHenry county has quite a bit of apple orchards but unfortunately Naomi and I waited to the last possible month, one could wait, to go apple pickin'. Luckily a few orchards still had some late season varieties and some apple cider left for us.

Our first stop was to All Seasons Farm Nursery & Landscape, which is a large orchard with all the bells and whistles; hayrides, mazes, cafeteria, and so much more. Last year we went to this one at the height of the season and left without anything due to the crowds. Yet, this year no crowds, no waits, and much cheaper apples. Our next stop was to Prairie Sky Orchard where we bought some more Jonagold and some honey crisp. This orchard was more to our liking; small, pleasant, and a homier feel. Lastly, we stopped at Homestead Orchard and actually picked apples off of the trees. This orchard was by far my favorite of the three. Here the owners were having a special which basically amounted to buy one peck of apples get another peck free. Needless to say we picked two pecks and ended up with 24 obs. of apples just from this orchard. At Homestead Orchards we picked Galas, Empires, Golden Blushings, McIntosh, Braeburn and Winesap varieties. By the end of the day we had a trunk full of apples, a couple gallons of cider, and a busy couple of days cooking ahead of us (by us I mostly mean Naomi).

Later that day Naomi began making apple sauce and apple butter. Both of these recipes can be found in the Ball canning book. Yet the main difference in apple sauce and apple butter appears to be in cooking time. The apple butter is cooked for longer in order, I guess, to give it a thicker texture. That night we also had apple pie and an apple/leek pastry for dinner and just to complete the theme a bit of apple cider to wash it all down with.

Apple/Leek Cheese Pastry

2-3 medium size apples

1 medium size leek

(In actuality there should be an equal amount of apples and leeks)

2-3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Pinch of Pepper

Olive Oil

1 Thawed Package of Phyllo dough

Start by coring and slicing the apples--We have an apple corer that does an awesome job with this. If you don't have one and are going to cook with apples I suggest that you get one. Life becomes so much easier.

Then slice the leeks into pieces of equal size to the apples.

Put the oil into the skillet and then heat the pan to medium heat.

Put the apples and leeks into the pan and the season lightly with pepper. Stir the contents of the pan occasionally and cook until the apples and leeks are soft.

While the apples and leeks are cooking shred about three cups of cheddar cheese and then put it into a large bowl.

After the contents of the pan are cooked put them into the bowl with the cheese. Next stir the mixture until every thing is mixed thoroughly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put a sheet of Phyllo dough onto a sheet pan and then brush half of it with olive oil. Then fold in half so the unoiled part is folded into the oiled part. Now brush half of that with olive oil and then fold again. Now you should be down to a quarter of the original sheet. Place a spoonful(s) of the apple, leek, cheese mixture into the center of the phyllo dough. Now fold up the edges as you would with an egg roll wrapper. Place the finish pastry onto an oiled sheet pan.

Repeat the above step until you run out of the apple, leek, cheese mixture. Then place the sheet pan into the oven and cook for approximately 30 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Five Crows Garden Show Part One

2009-10-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

Two Sundays ago, Naomi and I went to Five Crows home to help her build her raise beds. The raise beds were designed by yours truly with additions and modifications provided by Naomi. The construction of the garden went well and by the end of the day Five Crows had a great raised bed garden if I do say so myself.

Here is a sketch or plan for the garden beds. Although it was slightly altered (for the better) its basic design stayed pretty much the same.

Naomi and I constructing the garden beds. We began by first by putting four 8 foot boards into a "star" shaped design. We then used L-brackets to secure the boards to each other.

Then after those four boards were put together we then moved the design so that it was exactly where we wanted it within the garden area.

(BTW I love the sign posts in front of Five Crows garden area)

After connecting those four boards I was off to the garage to begin cutting out the 4 foot lengths so we could begin constructing the five checker box design.

In the next post I will detail the next steps that we took in order to bring the garden about.

The Grand Opening of Growing Home's Wood Street Farm

2009-10-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a great story that I found on Green Roof Growers. This is just a great idea and a wonderful achievement.

Allium sativum

2009-10-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

Allium sativum or Garlic has been used culinary and medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Although scientists do not know exactly when it was cultivated many believe that most likely descended from the Asian plant Allium longicuspis.

Planting garlic is a fall affair. Each clove needs to be planted 6 to 8 inches away from each other.

Each garlic needs to be planted flat tip down and needs to be covered with about two inches of soil.

After all the garlic has been planted you need to make sure that you use a good layer of insulation so the garlic plants will not freeze. Last year and this year I am using a 6 inch layer of straw. I have read that you can also use leaves, but someone I know lost their entire garlic crop from using only leaves as their insulation. So I suggest using straw.

Map of garlic plot (labeled and dated)

A Boulderific Farmers' Market

2009-10-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month Naomi and I went on a trip out west. Our first stop was Boulder, Colorado for her brother's wedding. While we were out there we heard quite a bit about the fabulous farmers' market that they had. The previous year we had seen Denver's, but her brother told us that nothing could beat Boulder's. So we went to have our own look.

Boulder's farmers' market took up several blocks and incorporated many local farms. Some who specialized in specific crops, while others had your typical variety.

I was a bit sad that I had not driven to Boulder and therefore could not purchase much if any of the wonderful foods that were on display.

Speaking of specialty farm stands, this stand from Wee Bee Farms only had garlic. The stand had about 12 different varieties. Naomi and I picked up two bags of assorted garlic. One for planting and one for cooking with. We ended up with Chesnok Red, Inchelium Red, Chicago Italian, Peskem River, Lortz Italian, Shatili, Shantung Purple, Rose de Lautrec and a few more. (More on Garlic later)

Some stands such as this one clearly made a habit of sprucing up their tables to attract customers. There were clearly over 25 farms on attendance at this market.

Additionally, there were quite a few artisan cheese makers, bakers, and a variety of other stands

Another place that we did purchase some goods was this apple orchard stand. There were at least 6 different varieties and of course we had to try each one to know what was best.

At this farm stand you could buy freshly ground flour made from whole wheat grain. Wish we had something like this at our local farmers market.

Another interesting stand was this one, which sold fire roasted peppers made to order.

Well Boulder's farmers' market was as good as its publicity. Anyone who travels through this area in the late spring, summer, or early fall should definitely stop by this one on a Saturday morning or afternoon.

I'm Back! With Quite a Bit to Say

2009-09-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Well I could say that I have been out of contact due to work, but that wouldn't be exactly true. I could say that I haven't written anything because there is nothing to say, but that would be an out right lie. All I can say is that I had writers block and just became a bit gun shy. Well I am going to bite the proverbial bullet and go for it.

Well there is quite a bit to write about and one of my favorite events that has happened, since my last blog, was the student made marinara sauce. Each spring my classroom plants wheat that will be harvested by the next classroom the following year. The wheat is used to make bisquits for the rest of the school as part of a luncheon called farm to table. Well last spring I decided to add one more crop to our farm plot, tomatoes. Tomatoes are a great all around crop that you can make many different products from. One of those products is marinara sauce, which is a favorite of almost all kids.

Over the summer students took time out of their own summer to come out to the farm and help weed their wheat and tomato crops. Both were harvested within our second week of school (Side note my classroom were filmed on a WGN news story while they were harvesting the wheat). Unfortunately, many of our tomatoes were lost due to the blight. Luckily, what we were missing was made up by parents donating their own backyard tomatoes and from parents donating money so that we could buy more the following day at the farmer's market. I also bought many of the other ingredients at the Grayslake Farmer's Market from money that was donated by the students themselves.

The day after the market my classroom with several parent volunteers worked together to make marinara sauce. The students were immersed into the process with many of my brave boys running from the kitchen crying from the overpowering onions. Others learned how best to "gut" a tomato. Students worked hard in a hot kitchen peeling, gutting, dicing, mincing the tomatoes and the other ingredients. For lunch we all had pasta and sauce. That day the students learned that a sauce you make on your own with fresh ingredients will always be better than anything you can buy.

I believe that each student left that day full of pride and desire to make their own marinara at home.

The Recipe We Used:

24 pounds of Tomatoes

6 pounds of Onions

6 bulbs of Garlic

Salt and Red Pepper to taste

12 bunches of Basil

6 bunches of Oregano

4 bunches of Thyme

4 sprigs of Rosemary

and 10 leaves of Sage (my students chose this one because they liked the sound of it)

In a large pot Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are opaque

Add Tomatoes

Stir and mash tomatoes periodically as needed

Its the Start of Junkfood Season

2009-08-27T13:28:00.001-07:00

Well I have been back to work for about three weeks now. For those who don't know schools are a warehouse of sweets, junk food, and all the extra pounds you could want. The first week of school I had a bag of bite size candy bars dumped on the table I was working at. Without thinking I had about 8 bites before I noticed what I was doing. In the past two weeks there have been boxes of donuts, chocolate covered peanut butter, cookies, and much more left in the teacher's lounge. All of this food is left as either gifts from parents for what we do or staff members bring them in to share with their colleagues and friends.

Well this year I am going to try to steer away from all of the mass produced junk food like the candy bars and the donuts. However I feel that there will be days that I am pushed beyond my ability to resist and indulge in those 9 or 12 bites.

Top Chef Masters

2009-08-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well I have a confession to make. I am a Top Chef junky. Yes I have to watch it and I even watch the reruns from the past seasons. Last night was the finale for Top Chef Masters, where the winner took home $100,000 for their favorite charity. The challenge was for the finalists, Hubert Keller, Rick Bayless, and Michael Chiarello to create a four course meal that described their life's journey through food. Each and every dish was an artful story that left me wishing that I could just have even just a whiff of each course. The contest was close but in the end Rick Bayless, restaurateur from Chicago won. The prize money will go to Rick's own charity Frontera Farmer Foundation. This foundation is dedicated to helping out small family farms with sustainable innovation and to help save the small family farm. The small family farm is an endangered species and needs all the help it can get. So congratulations to Rick for his accomplishment and for putting his prize money back into the small farms of the Chicago region. So once again congratulations to Rick Bayless.

Side note: Five Crows children after watching the final episode stated that they wanted to go to Frontera and help support Rick Bayless due to his use of local crops and his support to local farmers. Way to go Mouse and Squirrel!

Summer, Food, and Friendship

2009-08-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

Over this past summer Naomi and Five Crows have worked hard together to battle the oncoming of winter. In an a process that has for the most part fallen to the wayside in this age of refrigirators and produce on demand. Together they have taught each other the ways of canning and preserving. Together they have given each other the confidence and the collective knowledge (especially in the area of converting cups, pints, and the such) that has allowed them to succeed. Together they have preserved strawberries, pickles, peaches, salsas and more.

Throughout this summer we have had each other over for delicious local meals and other times we have just found time to sit and chat. We have been around each other so much that if a couple days go by I find myself wondering when are we going to see Five Crows and her family next. Yet, it hasn't always been this kind of friendship. A year before we had never been to the roost that Five Crows calls home and she had never been over to our house. So I believe we all have gardening and the love of fresh food to thank for our new found friendship.

So I say let the canning and the celebration of good local food continue.

The End of Blossom End Rot

2009-08-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well in the last three days Naomi and I have harvested about a half dozen of her aunt's family heirloom tomatoes. Their flirtation with blossom end rot has ended hopefully due to our application of bone meal and some calcium water solution. There are several more tomatoes with that promising orangish hue. It appears that my worries of no tomatoes were just a bit over blown. I will take some of the bigger ones and harvest it for its seeds so that we can plant more next year. This variety appears to be a bit like a roma but much larger.

Unfortunately not all tomato stories are end so well. Our local CSA's tomato plants developed late blight. For any who do not know this is the same disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine, which ended with approximately 1.5 million people dieing of starvation. Many other farms have had this disease attack their crops as well. In the New England states many farms have had to destroy entire fields of tomatoes. Luckily our CSA has only had to get rid of 600 of their 4000 tomato plants. This cool wet summer has not been beneficial to the tomato crops and I can only hope for hot weather for the rest of August.

Washington Post Article on Late Blight and Tomatoes

The Manors of Somerset-Lytes Cary

2009-08-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

Lytes Cary was the second manor house that we went to. The house itself was not as big nor the gardens, however the gardens were packed with beauty and inspiration. Lytes Cary was the home of herbalist Henry Lyte. He is the author of A niewe Herball and an antiquarian book, The Light of Brityane. Henry Lyte transformed the gardens around his home to reflect his profession as an herbalist. The garden was established in the 14th century and was thoughtfully improved throughout the intervening centuries.

The garden is broken into several sections the Apostle Garden, the Main Border, the Orchard, the Long Walk, the Pond Garden, the Seat Garden, the Croquet Garden, the Hornbeam Arch, the Vase Garden, the Sunken Garden and a few more that I can't remember.

The Apostles Garden: These shrubs were shaped in a very interesting way and create an interesting area for a good game of chase or tag.

This is the family chapel where Henry Lytes and his descendants held their Sunday mass. This chapel was draped in gorgeous colors by the clematis and other vines growing on its walls.

Naomi shows us the elegant doorway to the Main Border, which had plants arranged by hues. The colors slowly drifted from one shade to the next.

Here is one view of the Main Border.

This picture was taken just through the door. That is Naomi's dad and myself in the background.

One of the vibrant colors seen in the garden.

An interestingly shaped flower from a plant I do not know.

If any of my readers know this one please let us know.

I love this color it is so alive that I felt as though I could swim in it.

The Long Walk-These hedges were kept in immaculate shape and definitely gave you the feeling you were going somewhere important.

The Pond Garden at the end of the Long Walk.

Naomi and I under one of the hornbeam arches. Which lead the way to the Vase Garden.

One of the vases in the Vase Garden.

Here is the Orchard Garden and just below this picture some of the fruit that was becoming ripe.

The borders of the Seat Garden made for an attractive backdrop.

Some other beautiful pictures and plants from the garden:

I just loved this stone entrance way.

Here is an unknown plant that as you can see has some very large leaves. It also had some wickedly thorny stems.

Those wickedly thorny stems. Ouch!

If you happen to know this one please respond and let me know.

The Croquet Garden.

The door leading from the crochet garden to another section of the gardens.

Another unknown plant that I thought had an interesting form and color.

Once again if you know this one let me know. I need to expand my plant knowledge.

Another garden...there was quite a bit packed into the grounds of this manor as you can tell. It was much smaller than Stourhead.

A large thistle that I thought might be an artichoke.

I love the vibrantness of this yellow I feel as though I am looking a a child's coloring page.

The Manors of Somerset-Stourhead

2009-08-10T03:33:00.000-07:00

On our third day in England Naomi's dad drove us to Somerset. Now at this moment I need to say a little bit about driving in England. First I was glad that it was not me in the driver's seat. Second navigating English roads, especially in the country side is feat upon itself. I am truly amaze that we didn't get lost in the maze of roads that criss cross England. So my hat is off to Naomi's dad for facing that task and getting us to where we were going and back again to Bournemouth with only a few small adventures in between.

In Somerset we went to three English mansions/manors Stourhead, Lytes Cary, and Montacute. All three were magnificent in their own right. But, I am going to start with Stourhead since it was the first we visited and our group's favorite of the day. Stourhead's has a superb landscape garden, which was designed and built by Henry Hoare II. After his tour through Europ, he was inspired by the nature paintings of Italian artists. Henry Hoare II goal was to bring art to life at Stourhead through a landscape garden. Here are just a few of the pictures that Naomi and I took of the grounds around Stourhead.

The kitchen garden of Stourhead. One interesting fact is that some of served in the cafe comes from these gardens.

This is the walled flower garden and part of the kitchen garden.

A butterfly that I cannot identify at this moment due to having only North American Field guides.

The green house

This beautiful fern was growing on a rock ledge in the green house.

The entrance into Stouhead mansion.

Stourhead itself.

The beginning of the landscape garden walk.

Now this is one big tree to hug. This tree had the leaves of a tulip popular, however I have never seen one this big before.

This is some type of exotic tree that I saw a few times in England but never got the name of.

Stourhead's parthenon

The temple to Apollo (This picture is from the National Trust website the temple was being restored during our trip there)

Just one of the many scenic veiws.

Looking out of the grotto to the stone bridge.

Another view of Stourhead's stone bridge.

The Stone bridge and a view of Stourhead's parthenon.

Well after my walk through the garden I think I got the feel of what Henry Hoare II was trying to achieve. I hope that the pictures gave you a similar feeling as well.

England! What can I say but...

2009-08-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

Brilliant! The trip to England was truly a remarkable trip. I had a wonderful time in southern and southwest England. Seeing Durdle Door and Corfe Castle was rich in breath taking scenery. The little villages were quaint and magnificent. Naomi and I were able to visit a couple of farmers' markets here and I was surprised by the slight differences. There the farmers or vendors call out much like a hot dog or beer vendor at a baseball game. The markets were full of new and interesting vegetables such as the broad bean and a few others. I quickly learned that some new veggies were just different names. I found England to be a much friendlier place to small farmers and local food systems. This may be in part due to the Prince of Wales. Prince Charles seems to be a champion of local farms and good food. His influence can surely be felt throughout England. In grocery stores veggetables and meats will proudly claim where the food came from and who grew it if it originated in England. This is a wonderful small gesture that I am sure helps to encourage locavorism.

Back From England and Quite a Bit of Work to Do

2009-08-09T04:49:00.000-07:00

Well Naomi and I got home yesterday around 4:00 and found out that it was a bit warm here in Chicago. We had constant 20 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Farenhiet) weather in England and arrived in Chicago where it is now finally Summer 90 degrees. The garden has been producing and many plants are ready to harvest. Today I will harvest some of my potatoes and the onions. The melons have started to claim the bed the onions are in. They have also claimed the adjoining area around the raised beds outside of the garden plot. I will have to check to see if any melons are starting to form.

In bad news the heirloom tomatoes that we recieved from Naomi's aunt have blossom end rot. I came home and found 7 tomatoes afflicted by this serious disorder. I found this fact sheet at the OSU Extension website, http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/pdf/3117.pdf , and will try to adjust the soil. The wierd thing is that both of these are my container garden tomatoes. The ones in the raised beds are doing well so far (crossing my fingers). If you have any suggestions or advice with this please let me know. Would greatly appreciate all the help.

These are a family heirloom that have been passed down. I do not want to lose all of the tomatoes and therefore all of the seeds.

HR 2749 Food Safety Enhancement Act-Update

2009-07-30T05:25:00.000-07:00

HR Bill 2749: Food Safety and Enhancement Act of 2009 Failed yesterday. This is a victory for all artisan food producers and locavores.

Although I supported some of the ideas of this bill and especially the spirit of it. The major problem is that this bill is that it would treat all food vendors the same from your local bakery, like Wild Flour Bakery to the company that makes Wonder Bread, Interstate Bakeries (doesn't that sound delicious). This bill assumes that they are all on the same playing field. This just isn't the case local artisan producers make their food by hand and through love of their product and using high quality ingredients make food that will naturally be better for all of us. However this bill would have made them and the big businesses pay a $500 fee and do a "Hazard Analysis" study. This $500 would be enough that some small producers would fold and the paper work in a "Hazard Analysis" study would be enough to bury many small businesses. Whereas the large businesses such as Kraft would not blink an eye at the nominal $500 fee and would have enough interns or other low paid employees to do the mountainous paper work required by this bill.

Another issue I had with this bill concered "interstate shipping", which would make any producer who engaged in shipping their products across state lines to have a "Food Safety Plan". This would be the same plan for River Valley Kitchens who sell at our local farmers market, but are from Wisconsin as it would be for BG Foods. Under this bill they both would have to develop a food safety plan that included all of these elements:

preventive controls being implemented;
procedure for monitoring preventive controls;
procedures for taking corrective action;
verification activities for the preventive controls, including validation, review of monitoring and corrective action records, and procedures for determining whether the preventive controls are effectively preventing, eliminating, or reducing to an acceptable level the occurrence of identified hazards or conditions;
record keeping procedures;
procedures for the recall of articles of food, whether voluntarily or when required;
procedures for the trace back of articles of food, whether voluntarily or when required;
procedures to ensure a safe and secure supply chain for the ingredients or components used in making the food manufactured, processed, packed, transported or held by such facility; and
procedures to implement the science-based performance standards issued.

I am a teacher and in education we have a saying, "Fair doesn't mean everyone gets the same it means everyone gets what they need." This bill was just wrong because it tried to make every play by the same rules, however everyone wasn't playing the same game. I believe that if this bill had passed it would have closed many good small businesses who serve a great healthy alternative to the mass produced junk that lines our grocery stores.

Bill Summary:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2749&tab=summary

House Voting Results (check to see how your representative voted and let them know what you think):

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-657

Off to England

2009-07-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well tomorrow I am off to England. This is my first hop across the "pond". While there I am looking forward to see the sights; English gardens, the landscape, museums, and Stonehenge. There will be pictures of the sights and of course a lot of work in the garden when I get back.

Garlic Harvest

2009-07-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

After returning from Arkansas I noticed that four days away from the garden left me with some work. The majority of it was harvesting but there were some weeds that seemed to have sprung up during my absence.

The biggest work however was harvesting the garlic. This is a new plant for me and I have been waiting to harvest this since the snow cleared*. So to say I was eager to start was an understatement. I was ready to just go out and start pulling them up by their stalks. However, I erred on the side of caution and looked up garlic in one of my gardening books. In it I learned that garlic actually grows a few inches below the ground and it has numerous fibrous roots meaning that if you try to pull it up by the stalk, it will just break off, ruining your garlic. Also green garlic bruises easily and you should be careful when digging it up and afterwards.

Therefore, I used a hand trowel to dig up the bulbs making sure to not bruise or slice any. Therefore this was a long and slightly arduous process. I carefully dug around the bulb and then started to dig out from underneath it. Finally I pried it out of the soil and then carefully broke up the dirt that was clinging to the roots.

Since I had two different kinds of garlic I was careful to make sure that I dug up the first variety, Georgian Fire. This is a hot garlic which is supposed to be good in salsas, spicy sauces, or to a stir fry to add just a bit more zing. Once I dug it all up Naomi then took it to bind a few of the plants together so we could hang them to dry.

I then dug up the second variety, German hardy. This garlic is supposed to be one of the better for storage and should last the entire year if need be or if we don't use it all up in our cooking.

Garlic plants were bundled in groups of 4-5. Being careful to not bang the garlic around in order to avoid bruising. We used just simple string to bundle them together and tied them into places; one close to the bulbs and the other one up higher near the top.

Next we used masking tape (a must have item for all gardeners in my opinion) to make a label and then labeled each variety with a permanent marker.

Lastly we hung them up in the basement which appears to be the best place in our house. To properly cure or dry you should leave garlic hanging for 4-6 weeks. After they have dried cut off the roots and cut off the stalk about 1 1/2 inches above the bulb. Then leave garlic in a netted container and allow it to hang as well to get air circulation.

Not all the garlic will make it completely through the four to six weeks. Green garlic has a great flavor and I will use some of the Georgian Fire while its still green and has that great flavor. However I will allow all of the German hardy to dry.

* For any of those who don't know garlic is a crop that you put into the ground during the fall. So if you are interested in growing garlic I would start to pick out what you would like to plant.

Arkansas Traveler Part III-Peaches, Pink Tomatoes, and Seed Saving

2009-07-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

On our way back from Arkansas Naomi and I could not leave without stopping at a farmers' market and a roadside market while we were still in Arkansas. So it was that at 7:30 in the midst of a torrential down pour that we went to the Argenta Farmers' Market in downtown North Little Rock. Standing in the rain I got to speak to a couple of the farmers and bought two baskets of peaches and half dozen or so Arkansas heirloom tomatoes, the Arkansas Travelers Tomato.

The Arkansas Traveler is a pink tomato that is supposed to have less acidity than its red relatives. This tomato is beloved in Arkansas due to its natural resistance to cracking and splitting as well as its superb taste. Four of the tomatoes made their way to topping a pesto pizza last night, one was a gift to a good friend, and the last one I harvested its seeds.

Seed saving the tomato was much easier than I expected and to tell you the truth I wasn't expecting much. Here is the process:

Select to save seeds from a tomato that has a flavor that you love....if you're a home gardener and saving seeds from tomatoes that are growing in your garden choose tomatoes from the very healthiest looking plants.

Take your chosen tomato and slice it in half across the middle (it's "equator"). With a spoon or your well-washed fingers scoop out the seeds and their gelatinous "goo" into a clean cup or container. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the seeds. Cover the container with a piece of plastic-wrap and then poke the plastic-wrap with a paring knife or pen point to put a small hole in it...this is to allow for air-transpiration. (A little fresh air needs to get in and out of the cup to help foster fermentation.)

Place the container of seeds in a warm location; a sunny windowsill or the top of the refrigerator are both excellent sites to place the container of seeds. Now Mother Nature will take over and begin to ferment the seed and water mixture. This takes about two or three days. Each night remove the plastic-wrap, stir the seed and water mixture, and then replace the plastic-wrap, if you use a new sheet of plastic-wrap then don't forget to put a small hole in it for air-transpiration. The top of the liquid will look "scummy" when the fermentation process has separated the "goo" from the seeds. It also helps destroy many of the possible tomato diseases that can be harbored by seeds.

Take the container of fermented seeds to the sink and with a spoon carefully remove the scummy surface. Then pour the container's contents into a fine kitchen sieve and rinse the seeds with water several times...stir them while they're in the sieve to assure that all surfaces are thoroughly rinsed. Give a few sharp taps to the sieve to help remove as much loose water as possible from the seeds.

Line an open plate with a piece of waxed paper or a large automatic-drip coffee filter. Place the rinsed seeds onto the wax paper or coffee filter and spread them about so they are in a single layer. Place the plate in a safe location where the seeds can dry for a few days. Stir the seeds a few times during the drying process to assure that all their surfaces are evenly dry. Spread them out again into a single layer after each time you've stirred them. Tomato seeds are thick and can take up to a week to dry thoroughly. If you're having a rainy week that drying time may lengthen by a few days.

These seeds I will save for next year and try to grow some of my own. This variety enjoys hot humid weather and takes approximately 85 days to bear ripen fruit.

We also bought peaches at the farmers' market and a roadside stand that was in the parking lot of a gas station in Brinkley. We bought a total of 48 peaches that Naomi used to make jelly, she canned some, and she froze some of them as well. Of course as luck would have it we got another dozen in our CSA share as well.

Arkansas Traveler Part II-Heifer International

2009-07-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

During our stay in Arkansas Naomi and I left the hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas to get some fresh air. We went to the Heifer Village which was just a few minutes away. This was a beautiful complex that clearly displayed green features, from their gigantic water tower which collects rainto their xeriscaping grounds.

For anyone who might not know, Heifer International is an organization whose goal is to end world hunger. They have project throughout the world, but the difference between Heifer International and some other NGO's is that Heifer doesn't just give food. They give people the ability to support themselves through gifts of live stock. Another major goal of Heifer International is the idea of supporting ones local economy, through being a locavore and much more. The Heifer International building is made of materials that almost all came from Arkansas. The steel for the building was made at a steel factory just down the road. The bricks were either salvaged from the old buildings that were on site or bought from a production plant in Forth Smith, AR. The only major material that did not come from Arkansas was the bamboo floor boards. As for landscaping, most of the plants were Arkansas natives. The area that the building was built on used to be a wetland area, so they built what I can only call a "moat" that flows around and through their campus. While there I saw many turtles and dragonflies taking advantage of this new ecosystem.

Along with their dedication to local buisnesses and suppliers, they also have a mission of promoting local food sources. While there Naomi and I looked around in there gift store and found ourselves in book heaven. There were many books on the current status of the food industry, cookbooks, home gardening, green economics, and more. It was then that we decided to make our donation to Heifer International in the form of purchases. Two shirts and eight books later we left the gift shop and headed out the door.

So some book reviews are in the future for this blogger

Today's Harvest

2009-07-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

Today's harvest is three Cucumbers, 5 Tomatoes (2 beefsteak and three romas), and 12 Sugar Snap Peas (can't believe these are still producing). Soon there will be beans and the garlic is almost ready to harvest.

Arkansas Traveler Part I- Rememberance

2009-07-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Naomi and I took an impromptu trip to Arkansas for a "family emergency". My maternal grandmother came out of surgery and was not doing well. We decided on Friday night to not wait and to head straight down to Little Rock, Arkansas. I can remember from an early age my grandmother spending many summer days canning and freezing as many vegetables and fruit as possible. My grandfather tended the garden and she ensured that there was preserved food until next years harvest. My family still speaks about the jams and jellies that she would make with awe and reverence. And each time Naomi does some canning I can't help but think of her.

She was always finding some way to enlist my cousins and myself into the work of the day. One of my favorite activities was sitting on the porch swing with her and shelling purplehull peas, which is a common crop grown in Arkansas. My hands stained lavender from the shelling, we would sit there and talk about anything that came up. I loved when she would talk about her childhood and my mom's childhood. These conversations would of course lead me back through time to a place when life was harder, but it seemed so much sweeter through her eyes. Then after our work and conversation was finished she would freeze the majority of the bounty and then use the rest to make a wonderful dish.

She died this past Monday and she will be sorely missed by my family and all who knew her. She lived a long, good life and I will forever remember those dog days of summer, in Arkansas, sitting on the porch listening to her stories of days gone by.

Rooftop Gardens Go Organic

2009-07-17T20:21:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to an article about the Organic Garden that is above Uncommon Grounds in Chicago.

http://www.wbbm780.com/Organic-farming-first-happens-in-Chicago/4784520

You Get What You Pay For

2009-07-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago Naomi, her mom, and I went to go see the new movie Food, Inc. in Highland Park, IL. We luckily ate before the movie, because I do not think any of us would have been up for a meal afterwards. Food, Inc. had a familiar "plot" to anyone who has read any of Michael Pollan's books or read Fast Food Nation. However one of the movie's heroes I found quite surprising.

The movie begins with a casual walk through a grocery store. We see the bounty that is the American diet, however Robert Kernner then invites us to look closer at the true cost of this bounty. It is a cost that many people will have to pay in the years to come. It will come in the cost of heart disease, type II diabities, and much more. This is a movie that can easily overwhelm and scare you. You may wonder how did we get this way? The answer is simple as a society we have become to far removed from the source of our food.

One of the prices that we must now pay for our cheap food are E.coli outbreaks. Yet industry in a moment of terrifing brilliance has developed a way to remove that price from the meat we eat. The solution is simple and of course completely unnatural, "wash" the meat in ammonia hydroxide and kill everything that is living on or in it. The meat will be completely sterile at the end; no bacteria and certainly no taste. Of course the industry could also just feed cows grass instead of corn and this problem would be solved as well. But that would cost more than washing every bit of meat in an industrial washing machine.

So who is our surprise hero of the story, Wal-Mart. Yes the proverbial Satan of corporate America. You see Wal-Mart is an economic juggernaut who gets exactly what it wants. And what Wal-Mart wants is milk from cows raised without rBGH, which incidently is made by using E.coli. Therefore as the CEO of Stonyfield Farms tells us that by dealing with Wal-Mart you can make a significant change. However, I may be a bit cynical and I certainly do not have much, if any, faith in big corporations to do what is best for us. Therefore I can only fall back on a well used quote, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." So in the words of Robert Kenner vote three times each day and make your vote count by buying local food that was raised ethically and organically.

For more information watch these interviews with Robert Kenner and/or Michael Pollan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXmF_erEv1o&feature=related

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-july-2-2009/robert-kenner

First Tomato

2009-07-12T09:28:00.002-07:00

Well today Naomi harvested our first tomato of the year, a Roma. This red fruit is a sight to see. We have been waiting patiently for them to go from green to red and now that time is here. I reckon that for a while we will be just a few here and there, but before long we will be wading in red tomatoes.Naomi also harvested 5 cucumbers (some will be made into pickles and others for a snack) and three broccoli heads. The broccoli this year has been on the small side. Not exactly sure why.

What's happening in the garden?

2009-07-09T08:12:00.001-07:00

Well as I have already said there is a lot happening in the garden but in the garden in the summer that's just the way it is. Strawberries of course are a distant memory now. But raspberries are quickly coming and will hopefully be ripe in the near future. Of course we are already getting raspberries in the CSA, but of course I can't wait for these to be ready as well.

I can say that I have started to dream of juicy ripe tomatoes. And these little darlings are helping my dreams come true. Also we have romas that are also quickly maturing and a few other varieties that are on their way. However it is our tomato plants that are in the sub-irrigated planter that are really taking the cake. They are towering over everything else and will probably be the prize plants.

Cucumbers are quickly forming on the vine and are ready to pick. These little darlings have Naomi and Fivecrows formulating pickling ideas. To say that the success of their jam has inspired them would be an understatement. Well I know that with the bumper crop of cucumbers that we have on the way (4 plants). We will need some inventive ways of dealing with all of them.

Now for a relative. Our heirloom melons have quickly taken off since the warm weather has come. For awhile I was a little worried about them. But now I am just trying to coral them and keep them in the raise bed. As you can see they are blooming and hopefully we will have melons to harvest in September.

Finally the sugar snap peas are starting to fade away in the morning harvest. Last couple of weeks we were getting quite a bit, but that's how it is in the gardening world.

Maizing

2009-07-08T13:57:00.001-07:00

There is quite a bit happening in the garden this week. Flowers have opened, fruit is forming and other crops are finishing off. The crop that I would like to talk about is the pop corn.

Although we have grown corn in the past. We have usually grown a decorative Indian corn for fall displays. Corn is an interesting garden plant. Its closest relative is a grass plant called teosinte. It is believed that approximately 7000 years ago people in Mexico began to cultivate teosinte. This cultivation slowly changed this simple plant into the vegetable we know as corn. Corn or maize is a new world plant, until Columbus came to the Americas no one in Europe had ever seen corn. Yet once the discovery was made it did not take long for corn to become one of the most popular crops in the world. By the 1600's corn had made its way not only to Europe, but Asia as well.

Corn has two distinct flowers on it. These two flowers are the male flowers and the female flowers. The male flowers (pictured below) are commonly refer ed to as the tassel. They are situated at the top of the plant. The structures that look like grains of rice are called the anthers. It is here in the anthers that the pollen is held and then released at the appropriate time.

The female flowers are located about midway between the ground and the tassels. Normally the male flowers and the female flowers mature at a different rate to help ensure that self pollination does not occur. When the pollen from the male flowers fall onto the silks of immature ears of corn the pollen slowly makes it way up the silk. Each silk is located to a separate flower on the ear of the corn. Once the flower is pollinated and the ovary in the female flower begins to make a seed or kernel of corn. Each silk or flower that is pollinated will make a kernel of corn. Hence when you see an ear of corn that is missing some kernels you know that not all of the flowers were pollinated.

The word maize was derived from the Native American word for corn, mahiz which literally means, "that which sustains us". This is an apt name for a plant that is literally in just about every product on the shelves in a grocery store. Mahiz is literally the backbone of not only our food but also our economy.

Birthday Party and some good local eating

2009-07-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

This past Friday Naomi and I threw a birthday party for her mom. We decided as soon as we sent out the invitations that most of the food that we served would have to be grown locally. We did not go out and buy a bunch of stuff at the grocery store. In fact the majority of the produce came from either our garden or the CSA and the meat all came from the farmers' market. (The only main item that came from the grocery store was the pasta for the past salad.)

Naomi made some great salads; a pasta salad, a beet salad, a raddish salad, and lastly a fresh green salad. We also served some good buffalo summer sausage and some local cheeses from The Cheese People. All of the meat that we served was from Lester's Buffalo Farm which is just up in Wisconsin. We had ground buffalo for hamburgers, some bratwurst, and some hot dogs for the kids. I was told the hot dogs tasted a little different, but the brats were much better than conventional store bought ones in my opinion. Heck even the wine we served was from a local winery, Glunz. More on them in a future post.

For desert Naomi made two strawberry and red currant pies that were gloriously delectable. A perfect end of the meal.

Farmers' Market and Party

2009-07-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Its a bazaar. That is the only way to describe the party that happens on Wednesday afternoons in downtown Grayslake. This Farmers' Market has everything from locally grown vegetables and meat to entertainers and jewelry. One can find a veritable cornucopia of sauces, jellies, salsas, bread and many other baked goods as well. The Grayslake Farmers' Market is a giant celebration of local goods and merchants. The sidewalks are packed almost to the point that one can't shop without bumping into someone. Yet the fact is that when you do there are no mean looks just a nod or short reply. Everyone knows that when the sidewalks and streets are packed its a good day for local farms and merchants. And these are the people we should be helping.

Want to stimulate the economy, America? Go to your local farmers' market and buy the groceries that you need. I know that it might be a little more expensive, but I promise that every penny and dime you spend there is well worth it. First, the money you spend there all goes toward the local economy. Unlike those big box stores where only a fraction of your money stays in the local economy. Secondly, the food you buy there is better for you and your family. It hasn't been shipped 1500 miles to reach that shelf and a small farmer will take better care of his crops. Because his or her name is attached to each and every single item that they sell. So, stimulate America's economy through farmers markets and local businesses.

Booth of the Week

At the market one of my favorite booths is back, The Cheese People. I have been waiting for them since the last summer market day of last year. As you could probably guess they deal in cheese. But this is not just any cheese. It is divinely inspiring cheese. Their Parmesan is so good that Naomi and I buy two chunks each week. One to eat that week and the other to freeze for those long winter months when we can no longer buy it at the farmers market. Need I say more about it. Their cheddar is wonderful be it the 4 year or the 8 year. And of course the Gouda is quite extraordinary and great cheese to buy when one is going to have a party.

Peas, Pesto, and Preparation

2009-06-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

Well the time of the Strawberry is just about over, but the time of the pea is just about full swing in the garden. For the past two days I have collected sugar snap peas from our garden. These tasty treats are a delight on a walk or just right in the garden. I love the fact that they are ready to eat as soon as you pick them off the vine.

In other news our basil is doing much better. It is done with its bout of fungal infection and is now a healthy crop. This past Thursday Naomi and I made garlic scape pesto once again. After being in the garden I can see that we will be able to harvest some more basil early next week and start making pesto and freezing it for the long winter months. I know they are still a long way off and look much further away during those 90 degree days, but I hate running out in mid January or February so we are going to put more away this year.

So I have decided to be like the ant and not the cricket. Preparation for the winter months needs to start early if you want to try to be a locavore.

We be Jammin', Strawberry Jammin' Part II

2009-06-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

Well here is about 20 quarts of strawberries just waiting to be jammed.

This past Wednesday Naomi and Five Crows got together at 9:00 in the morning to begin what was to be an all day affair of canning strawberry jam. Between the two of them they made approximately 480 ounces of strawberry jam or about 60 jars. They have made plans to can more fruits and who knows start a whole business.

Watching these two work took me back to my grandparents house in Arkansas. Where my grandmother would spend many of hot summer days canning preserves. Just the sight of a Mason jar can bring back many happy memories. I wonder how many people in the United States still can food?

First step is washing and then cutting off the caps off of two quarts of strawberries

Next put the 2 quarts of strawberries into the pot and then mash them right in the pot. This will help to save on dishes that you will need to wash later.

Then add six cups of sugar and stir the concoction thoroughly.

Put the Mason jars into a dishwasher and wash them to heat up the jars.

Next heat up the concoction until it gets to 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then using a ladel and a jar funnel pour the jam into the Mason jars. Next put the lids on and then screw on the rings, but make sure that they are not to tight.

Place the jars into a water bath canner and lower them until they are submerged.

Boil them for fifteen minutes and then remove them using the tongs.

You may hear a slight popping noise as you remove them. Let them sit for a bit until all the lids have sealed-The popping noise. The jars take up to 24 hours to cool.

We be Jammin', Strawberry Jammin' Part I

2009-06-27T16:24:00.001-07:00

Well in my last post I asked what do you do with 20 quarts of Strawberries?

Well after you have made a strawberry pie or two and you have snacked on a handful or so, there is only one thing left to do. Preserve them before they spoil. I am sure that this is a conundrum that has confronted farmers for quite some time. In fact I am sure this problem has been front and center for our species as long as we have been gathering more food than we could eat in one setting.

We have had many different ways to meet this crisis. With meats we would simply salt the meat or drown it in layers of fat. However in the early 19th century Napoleon Bonaparte was concerned about the food for his armies staying fresh enough to keep them feed. He offered a prize of 12000 francs to the person who came up with the best way to preserve food over a long period of time. The person to do this was Nicholas Appert, the father of canning, who devised a way of preserving food in bottles similar to wine. This process was adapted and improved on through out the years by many different individuals.

However in 1858 a man by the name of John L. Mason conceived the idea of the Mason jar or a glass jar and lids that had threads. This allowed for reusable jars and screw on lids. The ease of use and the affordability of this system made canning more popular and the idea spread across the United States to all women be them farmers and homesteaders but also women living in the urban areas. Families began traditions of canning sauces, pickling, relishes, jams, and tomatoes. The name Mason became so synonymous with canning that piratically all glass jars to this day are called Mason jars even if they are made by another company and the fact that the Mason company has been out of business for over a century.

Canning grew in popularity during WW I and WW II. Canning was seen as a way to help the troops from home. As one can probably expect it is not as popular as it once was.

Many other companies made glass jars some with similar systems to the Mason jar, such as the Atlas E-Z jar, the Kerr jar, and the Ball jar. However others were made with completely different systems such as the Lightning jar.

An early Ball Mason jar

The Atlas "Strong Shoulder" Mason jar-The Strong Shoulder is the raised lip just below the lid.

A Ball jar using the Lightning clamp system.

The Ball Mason jar using the "Strong Shoulder" or the raised lip.

All of these jars were a gift from Five Crows who is a good friend and a gold mine of knowledge in a variety of areas.

*Interesting side note Ball jars used to be manufactured in Mundelien, Illinois up until the plant closed in 1981.

PYO Farms

2009-06-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

Pick your own is a very interesting idea and I feel that it can only exist in cultures who no longer have a large base of agriculture. It is a way for many people to give themselves or their children of a sense of what it might be like to be on a farm. If farming was only picking and eating. However, I cann't begrudge this idea at all. For one it is a great way for family farms to keep going and to capitalize on a type of industry that Americans do so well; Tourism. I have been to farms that are more amusement park than actual farm. A second reason is that honestly this could be the closest some of these families ever get to the source where their food comes from. If nothing else they will know what a strawberry plant looks like and how to tell when they are ripe enough to pick. Lastly I participate in this phenomenon as well. Buying strawberries by the quart can become expensive from the farmers market($5 a quart), but PYO is less than half the price of the farmers market strawberries.

So it was with this last idea in mind that Naomi, myself, and two of our good friends went to McCann Berry Farm in Woodstock, IL to purchase some strawberries at a discounted price and to help support a local family farm. The McCann Berry Farm was well run and they even had people in the field to help direct you to a row that had not yet been picked. So one doesn't waste their time going up and down rows or sections that have already been picked over. I also found a bit of camaraderie with the other people who were picking. Some helped direct others to where the berries were bigger or more plentiful. By the end of the hour we had 5 buckets of strawberries or 20 quarts. Our Friends Kelly and Kathy collected some peas and also helped us to fill one of our buckets. And we did all of this for just a little over $40 and some time in the car driving through the beautiful back roads of McHenry County.

As for what did we need 20 quarts of strawberries for. Stay tuned to find out.

Stormy Weather

2009-06-20T20:01:00.001-07:00

Wow! Yesterday was simply unbelievable weather-wise. Throughout all of Friday the Chicago area was hit with storms that could only be rivaled by a tropical storm. Winds came at us that reached gusts of nearly 60 mph and the skies dumped approximately 4" of rain throughout the course of the day. Two inches were dropped in just one hour during the evening. Some of the plants took quite the beating and the garden was just a bit flooded for awhile. My potato plants took the worst of the storm's attack. A few stalks broke off due to the sheer force of the wind and rain, but most of the damaged plants were blown straight down. They laid there unwilling to stand up too tired I guess from the effort yesterday. I have tied them up in hopes of aiding them during this time.

I am sure that they will survive. Plants are resilient. They are survivors able to withstand all that nature can give them and keep on growing.

What's a bloom in the garden?

2009-06-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Strawberry

In the haste of growing food I think that we all forget the flowers these plants produce. Flowers are an interesting adaptation that occurred approximately 150 million years ago. It thought by most evolutionary biologists that bees co-evolved with flowers, hence their codependent nature. However bees were not the only animals to be affected by the presence of flowers. Many other insects and birds would also take on the role as pollinators. Many other animals came to enjoy eating the fruit that was produced by these plants. Of course without the flowering plant, human civilization or humans at all would not exist.

Vegetable garden flowers come in many distinct and different forms, but they typically share four basic parts; petals, pistil, stamen, and sepals. It is the variation in these four basic parts that give flowers their true appeal and help scientist to classify these plants. The flowers of vegetables should not be overlooked, they are neither dull nor lack luster. They are emboldened in their own way and present us with a bit of early summer beauty.

Look at the two pictures below:

Nightshade

Potato

As you can tell the nightshade and the potato flowers have very similar shapes. These two plants are very closely related and would make one think that they have other characteristics that are similar and they do. They have similar leaf structures as well. However one important difference is that potatoes lack all the poisonous aspects that nightshade carries. The same holds true for tomatoes which are also in the nightshade family. Yet both of these plants' flowers are quite attractive and lovely. The potato flower was used for many decades in France as an adornment in the hair of rich ladies.

However with potato plants the flower is only a signal to the gardener that the plant is going to start producing under the soil. Yet with other plants the signal is quite different. Sometimes the flower signals the end of the harvest for certain plants such as with greens (lettuce, spinach, etc.). In this instance we say that the plant has bolted or gone to seed. When these types of plants flower the plant begins to produce a chemical that turns the plant almost inedible or at least bad tasting. This is an evolutionary trait that allows this plant to ensure that its flowers will be producing seeds and that no animal will interrupt this process by eating it.

Sometimes immature flower heads are acutally the harvest, as in the case of broccoli and cauliflower. Other times flowers signal the coming of a food. These types of "vegetables" are almost always a fruit as in the case of tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, and raspberries. The first sign of their showy display is the beginning of the end. I find myself going out to the garden watching, waiting for the delicious fruits that are surely on their way. Currently the "fruit" that is in season are strawberries. Each morning I go out and gather all the strawberries that have rippened over night and mentally mark the ones that will soon be ripe enough to pick. Soon peas will visit our garden and then we will entire the time of the cucumbers. Who fruit so readily that we will pick 3-4 a day for quite some time. We will pass them out deal them to our friends.

However, please remember to not forget the importance of your vegetables flowers and to remember to stop every once and a while and admire the simple elegance of the flowers in your garden.

Rasberry

Pea

Cucumber

Chive

Basil + Scapes = Pesto

2009-06-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

Scapes are the flower stems of garlic. They are removed in order to force the garlic plant to put all of its energy into creating bigger bulbs of garlic. Scapes have their own wonderful flavor and can be used in any meal as a substitute for chives or garlic. In the recipe below it was used as a substitute for garlic since we were down to our last clove.

Pesto is an ancient dish whose roots go all the way back to ancient Rome. It can be found in supermarkets, but these are usually made with cheaper ingredients. If you have never made pesto yourself I suggest that you try. It is a wonderful sauce on pasta or pizza. And as always freshly made at home is always better than store bought.

Ingredients

2 cups of Basil

3 garlic scapes or 3 garlic cloves

1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup of Olive Oil

1/4 cup of Parmesan

(It is nice to have a food processor when making this dish)

Rinse the basil and the garlic scapes

Cut the flower part or the umbel from the scape

Put the washed garlic scapes in the food processor and chop them finely

Put the washed basil into the food processor and chop and mix it with the garlic scapes

Next add the Olive Oil through the top of the food processor as it is running.

Then add the toasted pine nuts into the food processor and chop and mix them in

Lastly add the Parmesan into the food processor and chop and mix it in.

Scrape the pesto out of the food processor into a bowl.

Then added it to whatever you desire and enjoy.

Remember that you can make more pesto than you will need and freeze it so you will have some in the long depths of winter.

The Birds

2009-06-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

I love birds even though I am not a birder. For the most part I can't identify birds that well, but I love to hear their early morning calls and their late evening songs. However I have identified the culprit to the recent attacks on my strawberries. The Cardinal! He has systematically killed several strawberries just before they fully ripen. On many of the attacks he did not fully eat the strawberry, but only pecked at it a few times. Well Naomi and I have begun to fight back.

Last week we put a net over our precious crop, in hopes of thawarting this evil doer. Since that time we have been able to harvest 9 plump and juicy strawberries. I ate one of them yesterday and it was my first strawberry in one year. Each saporific bite was filled with rich moutwatering flavor. It was true ambrosia.

Hopefully this enemy will soon give up on the strawberries and return to eating other items.

Strawberries, Spring, and Tennis

2009-06-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

"One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste."

Strawberries happen to be the first "fruit" in our area to ripen. The strawberry doesn't technically count as a fruit since in reality it is just the enlarged end of the plant's stamen. The strawberry in my opinion is the best of all the fruits. It is juicy, plump, and oh so, so very sweet. The strawberry is of course non-fat, low in calories, high in vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, fiber, and vitamin B6. The actual name for the strawberry is believed to be derived from the fact that the berries are strewn all about the plant. Hence the Old English words is streowberie or streabbelige, which litteraly means "strewn berry". This name eventually became strawberry through the shortening and metamorphosis of the word.

The strawberry is in the Rosaceae family and all the known kinds are in the genus Fragaria. The genus name Fragaria refers to the odorous nature of the fruit. It has been used as a perfume in times past. It is said that Madame Tallien, great figure during Napoleon's reign used to bathe in the juice of strawberries. She claimed that this ritual kept her skin radiant, smooth and free of blemishes. However it did take approximately 22 pounds of strawberries in order to make enough juice to fill the basin.

The ancient Greeks and Romans would harvest wild strawberries for medicinal purposes. It is believed that the Romans were the first to start to cultivate the strawberry. Native Americans harvested wild strawberries throughout the Northeast and the Midwest. It is believed that strawberry shortcake came from a meal that Native Americans would make using mashed strawberries.

In medieval Europe the strawberry was seen as a symbol of prosperity, richness, peace, and perfection as a society. It was widely used at festivals and tournaments. To this day the strawberry has an important role at Wimbledon. Each year about 60,000 pounds of strawberries are consumed at the Wimbledon tennis matches, along with approximately 2,000 gallons of cream. It is believed that this tradition of serving strawberries with cream is as old as the event itself.

In the 1900's cultivation of the strawberry began in California. California now cultivates approximately 25,000 acres of strawberries throughout the state. Making it the single largest supplier of strawberries. They produce about 80% of the world's strawberry harvest. Therefore making all of the strawberries that you buy at the grocery store are from California. This means that for many of us these strawberries must travel a far way in order to reach us. I suggest to everyone only eat strawberries in season (June for most strawberry plants) and buy them only from local farmers.

Non cultivar strawberry plants are June bearers or they produce their fruit in June. The first cultivars were cultivated to produce bigger berries. However as time went on it became the idea to try and cultivate a strawberry that would be "ever-bearing" or ones that would have two or three cycles where they bear fruit. This type of strawberry in my opinion has less taste, most probably due to the fact that in order to get the plant to do this other traits had to be lost. This is the trade off in all cultivars or hybrids. We breed a plant for a specific trait which we want but in the process we lose several other traits that are also highly important. Taste is usually one that is lost, especially in genetically modified (GM) crops.

The picture to the left is from May 26th and this same strawberry is already over half-way red. I am ready to harvest it and savor its deliciousness later this week with Naomi. Don't forget everyone to visit your local farmers market and to buy your vegetables and fruits from there. Support your local farmers and keep your food close to home.

Potatoes

2009-06-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

The Smart Pot has been my answer to the large amount of potatoes that I recieved from my sample pack. Each pot allowed me to plant 5 seed potatoes in each pot and I should get around 25-30 pounds per pot. Seeing as how I have 12 pots this means that I will have more potatoes than I know what to do with and they will become part of every meal. Can anyone say potato pizza?

Well the smart pot works fairly simple. It is a canvas bag so that means the storage is easy and it doesn't take up much room in the off season. However when you are ready to plant just put it outside and open it up fill it up with a mixture of top soil and compost. I used a 2:1 ratio when filling the bags up. Fill the bags about half-way or about 6 inches. Then plant your seed potato about 4-5 inches down. If you are unfamiliar with how to cut seed potatoes remember that each seed potatoe should be about the size of a golf ball and should have one to two eyes with sprouts froming from them.

Once the plant shoots or the leaves reach about six inches fill the pot with more soil. Fill up till just the top few leaves are still showing. This will encourage the potato to create more tubers and therefore increase your garden's yield.

You will need to continue covering the stem and leaves of the potato plants as they continue to grow. Please remember that your potatoes will need water every week. Pre-flowering stage they need less than one inch. However during the flowering stage they will need somewhere between 1-2 inches of water each week. After the flowers have been made the leaves will die back. During this stage the plants should not recieve any water. This will start the curing process for the potatoes to be stored for latter use in the winter.

Potatoes are easily stored for long periods making them a wonderful choice for any garden. But remember that there are hundreds of varieties. Just not the three or four that you see in the supermarket. So before growing your own check out all the different varieties to choose which ones will be the best for your household.

Fungus

2009-06-08T08:51:00.001-07:00

This past week Naomi and I have noticed that our basil is not doing so well. It has black spots and the leaves are yellowish and wilty. After some researching I think I have narrowed the culprit to black spot fungus. I bought an organic fungicide which uses copper as its main ingredient. Copper is quite the killer when it comes to fungui and can be harmful to people as well in sufficent doses.

This Week in the Garden and a New Recipe

2009-05-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

This week I was gone a couple of days on a camping trip with my classroom. I came back to find out just over two inches of rain has fallen and the plants are in a flourishing stage. I am going to add more soil to all of my potato bags. The basil is starting to take off. I can't wait to make the first batch of pesto. Last night we used some of the spinach and the sage from our garden to make a wonderful sage, butter, spinach pasta dish. This is a great dish and Naomi and I love to make it around this time of the year when the spinach is fresh.

Pasta with Sage Butter Sauce

Pasta (any Kind)

1 bunch of Spinach

2 dozen large sage leaves, coarsely chopped

1 stick of butter

1/4 cup of pine nuts

Parmesan Cheese

1. Start boiling water for the pasta once at a boil rolling or otherwise put pasta in for specified time.

2. Start boiling another pot of water and place washed spinach in a colander. Then proceed to steam the spinach.

3. Toast the pine nuts in a toaster oven or in the oven at 350 until toasted

4. Melt the stick of butter in a pan and then saute the sage in the butter.

5. Combine the butter sage sauce, the steamed spinach, and the toasted pine nuts over the pasta.

6. Lastly add the amount of Parmesan that you desire (I always desire quite a bit) and enjoy.

Pictures of the Garden Beds

2009-05-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

Well the garden is all planted as I have previously mentioned. Here are some pictures so you can see the garden and what has been planted.

Here are the peas, tomatoes, peppers, and basil. The tomatoes are in the cages. The basil is in the foreground of the picture with the peas in the very back.

Here are two heirloom melons from Monticello. There are six of these planted on mounds

about eight inches high and about a foot in diameter. We have given these bad boys the run of one of our largest raised beds. Plenty of room for them to stretch out and grow.

Here are the cucumbers (in the near right corner), popcorn (far right corner), broccoli (far left corner), then carrots, and spinach. This past weekend I thinned out some of the carrots. When carrots grow to close together they will start to fork and never develop any real bulk.

Farmers Market Delight

2009-05-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

Well this Saturday Naomi, my parents (who are in from Ohio for a visit), and myself ventured to the Grayslake Farmers Market. This is a weekly event for Naomi and myself, but it was a first for my parents. My mom remarked on the scope and size of the event and the variety of items for sale. While there we picked up a few loafs of bread from Wild Flour Bakery and some buffalo steaks from Lester's Buffalo. However I think the find of the week was a jar of heirloom tomato salsa made by River Valley Kitchens from a recipe made by Rick Bayless. This salsa had a wonderful flavor and just a hint of spice that caught your taste buds in the backside of the flavor. The salsa however did not make it through the weekend as it was finished promptly the next day during lunch. This was by far and away an exquisite find. I will be looking for another jar next Saturday.

Later that night we grilled the buffalo steaks and some asparagus we received in our CSA from Sandhill Organics. With the steaks we had some sauteed mushrooms and a salad made with lettuce and turnips from the CSA and radishes from our garden. To top off the feast we had some of the bread that we had bought from the farmers market with some garlic olive oil from the Olive Tap.

We used a wood burning grill to grill up this tasty meal which may take a while but I do love the flavor of the wood with the meat. It leaves a better taste than gas or charcoal grills. However it does take the fire a bit longer to get to cooking readiness. Of course that is just time for snaking and sitting around the fire.

Plants in the Ground

2009-05-19T04:28:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday Naomi and I planted all of our vegetables in our raised beds. At this point we have 15 corn (popcorn variety), 3 cucumbers, 12 spinach, 10 broccoli, 4 pac choi, 15 onion, 15 garlic of two varieties, 6 peppers of mixed variety, 20 basil for the pesto extravaganza, 14 tomato plants, about 50 seed potatoes, 9 radishes, and 6 melons. If this all pans out it will make for quite the harvest.

I am excited to try some of our new plants or varieties. Potatoes, pac choi, onions, and garlic are completely new veggies for us. I am hoping that they pan out seeing how much work, time, and money has gone into them. As for new varieties we have a new type of tomato which is an heirloom variety that Naomi received from her aunt. We have these growing in an earthbox on our back porch. We also have an heirloom variety of melons that came from Monticello and they are of the same variety that Jefferson planted in his garden. Lastly for new varieties we have popcorn. In the past we have grown Indian corn in order to make decorations for our home. However this year we decided to grow a corn we could eat. Albeit for pure fun and enjoyment. We usually pick up our sweet corn at the farmers market later in the year.

Well pictures to come soon and more updates.

Frost

2009-05-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

Well NOAA issued a frost advisory for last night. As I wake up this morning I notice that the advisory has been canceled. However last night when I got home at 11:30 pm that was not the case, so I spent a little time moving the plantees inside. Let that be the last cold night so I can begin putting them into the ground.

The CSA, Pac Choi, and Egg Rolls

2009-05-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

Well two Thursdays ago was the second week of the CSA pick up (for more about CSA's in the Chicago area and Sandhill Organics see this news article). Last week we recieved some potatoes, green garlic, spinach, radishes and a few mixed greens. This prompted Naomi and I to cook potatoes over our wood fire grill and lounge on the deck last Friday night. We made some garlic, chive butter for the potatoes that was quite exquisite. This Thursday we recieved pac choi, stone ground flour, mixed greens, and a few other items. Last night the pac choi led to the making of 25 egg rolls. The production of these egg rolls took about an hour and the feast took another full hour. We had to take a short break in order to catch our second wind. (I am not as young as I used to be) Naomi tells me that I am quite the egg roll chef, but it all seems pretty simple and when your frying something how can it not taste good.

Egg Roll Recipe

This recipe is adapted from the Smith & Hawken Gardeners' Community Cookbook which was compiled and written by Victoria Wise.

1/2 cup of Sweet and Sour

3/4 pounds of pac choi finely chopped washed and spun dry

3 Green onions finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves minced

2 tablespoons of minced fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 tablespoon of ground ginger

6 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce

One package of Egg Roll wrappers

Vegetable Oil for deep Frying

Combine the pac choi, green onions, garlic, cilantro and ginger in a bowl then toss and mix

Add 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce to the bowl and then toss again. Set aside

Take out the egg roll wrappers and place one on a plate in front of you. Put one to two tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Roll up the wrapper envelope style or by following the directions on the package. Seal up the wrapper with some of the left over soy sauce to keep the wrapper from springing open.

Continue this process until all of the filling has been used or you run out of wrappers

Then in a frying pan or a wok pour oil until it is about 1 1/2 -2 inches deep

Fry egg rolls until they are golden in color. You will have to turn them as they are cooking. Frying of egg rolls will of course cause splattering so be careful.

When all done eat when they are hot and enjoy them

Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Plants

2009-05-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Last nights thunderstorms brought 1.2 inches to our area. Soaking all of our new plants veggies and natives alike. The gully between our house and the neighbors is once again filled with water. The marsh marigolds must be happy. Also, the rain overflowed our rain barrels who probably met their capacity fairly quickly. I will have a good deal of water to use for those times when the rains just don't want to fall. Although it is a small drop compared to the total amount of rain that fell and was then transported by the sewer system to the river. I feel good to know that this water will make its way back into the ground and help to save us some money on our water bill. Hmmm...think I am going to have to get one more barrel.

For a good film on how to make rain barrels your self check out this video.

Food, Inc. and King Corn

2009-05-13T16:38:00.001-07:00

Well, I have been a proponent of small scale farming for quite sometime. I have worked on a learning farm,Stonewall Farms, and volunteered at its CSA. I currently support our local CSA here in the North burbs of Chicago, Sandhill Organics, and the Grayslake Farmers Market. Currently I also work at Prairie Crossing Charter School, an envrionmetnally focused charter school whose mission also includes sustainable farming and farm education. For those of you who don't follow educational philosophy or trends this is a bit of a pendulum shift. Agricultural education was drummed out of schools several decades ago as it was seen as old fashioned. As part of my role as teacher I also have lead a book club for the school community. Just yesterday a parent noticed my class and I working in our garden plot and mentioned a new movie coming out that was about farming. She suggested that maybe we read a book and have a movie group as well. Not having much time to discuss it I told her I will think on her suggestion. Then just today I noticed a new blog post from Green Roof Growers discussing just this same movie, Food, Inc .

Well, I can now say that I am really excited about this movie after watching the trailer. I have the companion book as well--I bought it before I knew about the movie--and I am convinced that I will lead some type of community event centered around this movie. I may couple this event with another movie that I have King Corn based on similar issues. However, King Corn focuses on the major role corn now has in our daily lives and the fact that my generation has a shorter life span than that of our parents.

Both movies feature Michael Pollan an expert in the issues surronding agriculture and many more experts.

The Earthbox and Rooftop Gardening

2009-05-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

After reading the recent Chicago Magazine Article Free Food (such a misnomer) I decided to research more about the information in the articles. So here is my first look at one interesting piece I found in the article, Salad Days.

Rooftop gardens are the perfect solution to the space issue that many urban dwellers face. However, the problem some might face is exactly how do you start and what materials do you need. Well in the article Russ Chetham, of Green Roof Growers, talks about a reusable planter called the Earthbox. This ingenious planting box uses the properties of osmosis to transfer nutrients and water from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

The water resivor at the botom of the planter ensures that the plants are watered to an appropriate amount. As long as you keep the resivoir filled completely the plants can never be over watered nor under watered. The plastic cover helps to prevent soil evaporation allowing water to be conserved and the plants to be watered less often than usual. The cover should also prevent weeds and some pests from bothering your precious veggies as well.

This planter would also be great for people who might only have a balcony, terrace, or people like myself who want to grow more food on their back patio. Since I know that I will be wanting just a few more tomatoes to cook into sauce and then freeze for latter use.

A Look Back at the Garden

2009-05-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

For Chanukah I gave this Jeffersonian Raingauge to Naomi . It adds a nice splash of something something to the vegetable garden. However best of all it is quite accurate in measuring the amount of rainfall. This is after a day and half of rain that we recieve in late April. As you can see the gauge is reading about 2 inches of rain. We were destined to get about a half inch more the day after this picture was taken.

Here are our young radishes reaching out for the sun. They have grown quite large since this picture was taken. Fairly soon we will be able to begin harvesting some of our radishes. However, we have already recived some from the CSA which started last week.

A young pea sprout that has made its way through the dirt and looking for more sun and nourishment. Which I have been dutifully and faithfully providing it.

Well here is the garlic that I planted last fall. As you can see it has grown quite large. I had about a week previously removed the excess hay from the top but left the bottom layer to help control weeds and to hold in the moisture. In a few weeks I should be able to harvest the scapes that are already coming up.

The Links Between Phenology and Gardening

2009-05-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know phenology is the study of the changing of the seasons. Many believe it to be the oldest area of science. For early humans would have needed to know when nature was changing in order to adjust his/her lives accordingly. With the invention of agriculture early humans became even more dependent upon the study of phenology. Signs in nature would have let them know when to plant different types of seeds or when to begin to harvest the crops that they had planted so many months before.

I found this website http://gardening.about.com/od/organicgardenin1/a/Phenology.htm

which has some good information that the author has collected over the years and the table below details some of she has collected.

Also for more information on the study of phenology see Naomi the Nature Nerd

Naomi knows more than I could adequately or compentently tell you about nature, phenology, native plants, and much more. So check out her blog from the link above or from my blog roll at the bottom.

Phenology Clues

Plant peas	When forsythia & daffodils blooms
Plant potatoes	When 1st dandelion blooms
	When the shadbush flowers
Plant beets, carrots, cole crops, lettuce and spinach	When lilac is in first leaf
Plant beans, cucs and squash	When lilac is in full bloom
Plant tomatoes	When lily-of-the-valley are in full bloom
Transplant eggplant, melon and peppers	When irises bloom
Plant corn	When apple blossoms start to fall
Seed fall cabbage and broccoli	When catalpas and mockoranges bloom

Seed morning glories	When maple leaves reach full size
Plant cool season flowers (pansies, snapdragons...)	When aspen and chokecherry trees leaf out

Watch for:

Eastern tent caterpillars to hatch	When crab apples start to bloom
Gypsy moths hatch	When the shadbush flowers
Squash vine borer eggs are laid	When chicory flowers
Mexican bean beetle larvae hatch	When foxglove flowers open.
Japanese beetles arrive	When morning glory vines start to climb

The Last Cold Night

2009-05-12T04:03:00.001-07:00

Well hopefully last night was the last night that will be well below 50 degrees. We are approaching the last frost date and with temperatures reaching 70 degrees I am preparing to put the veggies in the ground before too long. Well I will take the plants outside this morning to give another day of hardening off.

Another Cold Night

2009-05-10T19:27:00.001-07:00

For the past two nights the temperature has dropped below 50 degrees and I have had to bring in the plants to protect them. Of course after yesterdays Plant Sale at Prairie Crossing I have quite a few more plants to move to the upstairs room. Naomi and I took several trips up and down the stairs to transport all the flats. Hope this is the last of the cold spring nights and that we can have some pleasant evenings in the nights ahead.

Acclimation or Hardening Off Your Plants

2009-05-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well the past week has been wonderfully warm. We have left our plants outside each day to help them acclimate to the elements or to harden them off. Seedlings grown indoors usually need a period of time where they gradually get use to the elements of nature. The leaves will slowly develop a thicker cuticle that will help to prevent transpiration or the loss of water through a plants leaves. This period of acclimation or hardening should be done 7-10 days prior to transplant to the outside on average. Some plants will need more time to adjust so the best policy is to pay attention to what your seedlings or plants are telling you. Also when you first start to acclimating them to the outside an hour or two is more than enough. You can increase this amount by another hour or two each day. Until they are left outside all day long. If you are worried about bad weather and don't want to leave them at home by themselves outside, you can always take them to work (if your workplace is amenable to this sort of thing). However remember if it is going to get less than 50 degrees you are going to want to take them inside. Many of these plants do not do well if forced to be in weather less than 50 degrees for an extended period of time. Also remember to give your plants a drink when they need it. They will dry out faster outside and wilt faster (especially in the first few days of the hardening off schedule). If you follow these instructions that by the time you are ready to leave your plants outside (after the possible last frost date) they should be hardy and ready to survive the elements of mother nature.

Come to the Plant Sale

2009-05-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Prairie Crossing Charter School and the Learning Farm invite you to

Growing With Nature: Organic Plant Sale

Saturday 9th 9am-1pm

At Station Square in Prairie Crossing

977 Harris Road

Grayslake, IL 60030

Educational Presentations, Vegetables, Herbs, Flowers, and Native Plants from EarthWild Gardens

Raining

2009-05-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

Well the garden plants have really started to take off and now with this new rain I expect them to grow just that much more. BTW every potato bag has sprouts now.

The Creepy Things We do to Plants

2009-05-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

Saw this plant as I was looking for information about potatoes. I find this to be quite a weird plant and find myself thinking, "Why?"

Amazing Tomato-Potato Amaze Your Friends...Fun to Grow!POTATOES BELOW GROUND ...TOMATOES ABOVE The fabulous Tomato-Potato grows delicious red, ripe tomatoes above ground and tasty, plump red-skinned potatoes below. We have grafted a “Sub-Arctic” variety tomato (noted for extra-earliness) onto a “Red Pontiac” potato (noted for its good eating and storage quality). Tomatoes and potatoes are members of the same plant family, plants look alike and grow together in the same space. The potato graft produces plump potatoes while the tomato graft grows luscious tomatoes. • Early ripening tomatoes. • Bushels of fruit from a short row of plants. • Flowers set fruit even on cold days. • Large, meaty, round red tomatoes in big clusters. • Attractive leaves and compact vines. • Excellent storage potato. Good eating. • Long cropping season. • Red Pontiac potatoes grow below ground.

Price: $6.98

One Wet Week and a Short Case for Rain Barrels

2009-05-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

In the past week we have received approximately 3.5 inches in the Grayslake area. Rain of course is good, but getting all your rain at once can be a bit ironic for any gardener. We would all like to have our rain spaced out evenly over the course of the spring and into the summer. However it never seems to end up like that. Therefore with all of the rain that we have received over the past week the majority of that water found its way not into the ground but into the sewer system.

Now how much is exactly 3.5 inches? Well if you look into our overflowing rivers you would know it is quite a bit. But lets take just the rain that fell on the roof of my house. Given one side of the house's roof that has a length of 40 feet and a width of 20 feet. I can calculate the volume of water that fell over the course of the past week to be 403,200 cubic inches which converts to about 1,750 gallons of water. This of course is just on my roof and if we consider the other house in the cul de sac well we are looking at well over 10,000 gallons of water falling just on the roofs of the houses. It is due to this that we put two rain barrels out to collect some of this water. The rain barrels themselves can only hold approximately 150 gallons of water. But during the dry portion of the year this water comes in handy and allows us to water the gardens without fear of any drought restrictions and with the knowledge that what we are doing is good for the environment. Help conserve our precious water resources and get a rain barrel for your home. The money you save will add up fast and your conscious will feel better as well.

Currently we are thinking about getting another rain barrel to take just a bit more advantage of the rain that keeps falling on our heads.

Potatoes are popping up

2009-05-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

With all the rain we received this week (3.5 inches by my rain gauge) I was a bit worried about the potatoes I planted. I did not want them to rot in the soil, but after checking up on them I have found a couple of sprouters popping or beginning to pop out of the soil. Yeah!

If beef's the king of meat, potato's the queen of the garden world. ~Irish Saying

2009-04-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

Just this past week I planted approximately 50 potatoes in my garden. If this crop does even moderately well I believe that I will probably have enough potatoes for myself and to trade or sell to others. But as I planted all of these potatoes (8 different varieties) I began to wonder about the potato itself. For the potato is one of the most commonly eaten vegetables in America, second only to corn. This seems appropriate since these two vegetables are native to the Americas. However I think you must look at the history of the potato to truly appreciate its rise to stardom in America. For a little over 140 years ago the potato was nearly non-existent as a culinary dish in the United States.

Archaeologists have found remains of potatoes that date back nearly 2500 years in the modern regions of Peru and Chile. The Incas grew and worshiped the potato as a divine gift. The Incas would have storage sites along their roads. Within these storage sites potatoes would lie waiting for the hungry traveler who needed their nourishment. The conquistadors of course invaded and conquered the Americas in the 1500's. In 1565 a Spanish conquistador named Gonzalo Jiminez de Quesada took the potato back to Spain in lieu of the gold that he was supposed to have found. Although this may not be the first time potatoes were brought to Europe it is the first recorded event of when they were brought back. The Spanish were so taken with the potato that they kept them on all of their sailing ships. It should also be noted that on ships where sailors ate potatoes scurvy did not occur.

However it should be noted that the potato did not receive as good a reception from the rest of Europe as it did from Spain. It was considered by many to be a weird, poisonous. and evil plant. In France the potato was thought to cause leprosy, syphilis, narcosis, scrofula, early death, sterility, and rampant sexual behavior. Many farmers also believed that the potato would destroy the soil where it grew making it impossible to grow anything else where it grew. The town of Besancon, France passed an edict in opposition to the potato that stated, "In view of the fact that the potatoe is a pernicious substance whose use can cause leprosy, it is hereby forbidden, under pain of fine, to cultivate it." Legend has it that a Spanish ship wrecked off the coast of Ireland and potatoes washed ashore giving the Irish their potatoes.

However, it wasn't until the late 1700's that potatoes really made a show in Europe. French military chemist Antonin-Augustin Parmentier won a contest to create a stable food crop that would help stave off famine and offer the French military an abundant source of food. Parmentier convinced King Louis XVI to allow him to plant potatoes on 100 acres of worthless land just outside of Paris. He also convinced the King that a group of soldiers would be needed to gaurd the crops during the day and night. A couple of months after the potatoes were planted he arranged for the soldiers to be absent one night. As Parmentier predicted the local farmers scrambled across the fields in search of a crop that was so important that the King would set men to guard it. After this night the potato became a staple crop in every French farmer's garden. In the 1790's Marie Antoinette would wear potato flowers in her hair. Because of this all the ladies of France during this era would wear the flowers of the potato in their hair.

Luther Burbank a horticulturist, in 1872, develops the Russet Burbank and with this development the Idaho potato industry begins to take off. The secret behind the Russet Burbank is the fact that it is close in taste to the Irish potato but much more disease resistant.

"Money is the root of all evil, and yet it is such a useful root that we cannot get on without it any more than we can without potatoes."

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), American novelist

A Garden Raisin'

2009-04-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Naomi and I went to a friends house to help them redesign their garden area. This process involved the moving of dirt and plants in one area to a new area and redoing the pathways between the beds. In the beginning of the day we all moved with a gradual motion. The hot sun made us a bit lethargic in our work. However after lunch (which was great so thanks Kathy) with the impending sense of rain we worked with a renewed speed and as the first few drops were felt we picked up the pace and began to finish the project. This time was well spent because it gave me a feel of community and camaraderie that only comes from truly helping out a friend.

While I was at their house I took a look at their fruit trees and grape vines. Fruit trees are not a part of our garden nor our plan (at least at this time). Fruit trees take a bit more patience than what I seem to have. You can plant a fruit tree but you might need to wait three years or so before anything comes of it. I sometimes have a hard time waiting for the vegetables to grow by the end of summer. So I have a bit of respect for Kelly and his wife who can dedicate that kind of patience to a plant. I am sure they will see big dividends when the time finally comes.

Grayslake Farmers' Market

2009-04-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

Well for the past two weekends I have once again enjoyed the chance to go to the Grayslake Farmers' Market. Although this Saturday version is just a warm up to the extravaganza that takes place once it moves to Wednesday afternoons, I am still happy to be able to buy locally grown/ raised products. However, as you can probably expect for this time of the year, much of the items for sale are breads, pastries, meat, and canned items. For the past couple of years I have been trying to buy some of my meat from locally raised providers and the rest from companies that certify organic For example when I am at the farmers' market I try to buy meat from the people selling it there. One such person is Lester, who raises and sells buffalo. He usually has a wide variety of steaks, sausage, ground meat, and more. Interestingly enough, he also still has some apple cider (frozen) left over from the fall. This is a welcome treat especially when your own supply of frozen cider has just recently ran out.
This past Saturday we purchased a dozen eggs from Farmer Nick and a whole chicken the Saturday before. Farmer Nick has a nice selection of pork as well, such as nitrate free bacon. If you have never been to the Grayslake Farmers' Market or one near where you live I suggest that you go there and experience it. You never know what you may discover.

Rain, Rain, Stay Right Here

2009-04-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Looking outside right now a smile comes to my lips as I see the rain drops hit the ground. It isn't a hard rain but just a slow soak. The perfect kind for the day after planting seeds. I know most people disdain the rain and on a cold day like today I can somewhat understand. However it is rains like these that really do the job for us gardeners. Of course I am sitting here right now wishing I had put my rain barrels outside this past weekend. That will definitely be on the list this coming weekend.

A Year of Locally Grown & The Friends of Ryerson Woods

2009-04-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

America's disassociation with its food maybe one of our biggest cultural crimes. A majority of children and adults go through their day without any real clue of the effort and resources it takes for thier food to reach their plate. Additionally many people make decisions regarding their food that damages not only their health but the health of our planet. Many of us may have heard the term locally grown or locavore in the past year or two, but what do these terms really mean and how can they help not only us but our planet?

Well these and other questions like them will be taken up this year by The Friends of Ryerson Woods and their Year of Locally Grown. They will explore these ideas through a varitey of media.
Go to their website and see how they can help you to better understand these ideas. http://www.ryersonwoods.org/p/YearOfLocallyGrown.html#YOLGevents

Garden Book Club

2009-04-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

On April 26th Sandhill Organics will host the first meeting of The Friends of Ryerson Woods book discussion group. Ryerson Woods is a 552-acre conservation area near Deerfield. The discussion group will meet in Sandhill Organics' greenhouse at the farm to discuss Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food. The discussion will be led by Linda Bubon of Women and Children First, an independent book store in Chicago. You may register online at http://www.lcfpd.org/. For more information about The Friends of Ryerson Woods visit http://www.ryersonwoods.org/.